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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pop — to visit
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. press — newspapers
  5. press — to push
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. fall — to drop
  9. last — to go on
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. prune — to trim
  12. fall — the season
  13. press — a publisher
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. pop — music
  16. last — final
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. branch — a division
  20. prune — to trim
  21. pop — soda
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. last — finally
  24. fall — to drop

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com