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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. press — newspapers
  3. mate — a friend
  4. court — for sport
  5. season — in sport
  6. rush — hurry
  7. track — to keep track
  8. court — of law
  9. season — of the year
  10. stem — to come from
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. prune — to trim
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. court — of a king
  15. track — a song
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. press — a publisher
  20. mate — a partner
  21. track — a path
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. mate — to breed
  24. press — to push

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