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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 116 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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. press — a publisher
  3. net — after costs
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. net — in sport
  7. bear — the animal
  8. club — for dancing
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. prune — to trim
  12. rule — government
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. pound — a weight
  15. net — for catching
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. rule — a law
  20. press — to push
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. club — a group
  23. press — newspapers
  24. club — for golf

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