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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. bank — for money
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. bark — to shout
  6. charge — in control
  7. game — wild animals
  8. scale — in music
  9. bank — of a river
  10. prune — to trim
  11. game — a match
  12. press — newspapers
  13. prune — to trim
  14. bank — for money
  15. charge — electricity
  16. charge — a price
  17. swing — to play on
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. press — a publisher
  20. swing — in golf
  21. press — to push
  22. swing — music
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. scale — size or range

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