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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 124 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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. press — newspapers
  3. prune — to trim
  4. swing — in golf
  5. land — ground
  6. pit — in a race
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. press — to push
  10. pit — a hole
  11. swing — music
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. prune — to trim
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. race — humankind
  17. land — a country
  18. press — a publisher
  19. race — a contest
  20. race — the arms race
  21. band — a music group
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. swing — to play on
  24. band — a ring

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