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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 assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. prune — to trim
  3. can — a tin
  4. fine — high quality
  5. fall — to drop
  6. board — to get on
  7. can — to be able to
  8. press — newspapers
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. fall — the season
  11. can — a tin
  12. fall — to drop
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. row — to paddle
  16. board — a committee
  17. press — to push
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. prune — to trim
  22. press — a publisher
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. row — a line

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