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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rock · press · snap · prune · rash · pitcher

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. rock — a stone
  3. rash — a series
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. prune — to trim
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. snap — to click
  9. prune — to trim
  10. press — newspapers
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. rock — music
  15. press — to push
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. press — a publisher
  18. rash — hasty

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