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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. press — newspapers
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. court — of a king
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. tube — the underground
  8. prune — to trim
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. pit — in a race
  12. wake — a trail
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. court — for sport
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. press — to push
  18. band — a ring
  19. court — of law
  20. press — a publisher
  21. band — a music group
  22. tube — a container
  23. pit — a hole
  24. wake — before a funeral

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