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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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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: prune · current · bass · rush · tear · press · perch · roll

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. current — electric
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. tear — from crying
  5. tear — to rip
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. current — of water
  8. roll — a list
  9. press — newspapers
  10. prune — to trim
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. current — happening now
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. prune — to trim
  15. bass — the fish
  16. perch — the fish
  17. rush — hurry
  18. tear — from crying
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. press — a publisher
  21. bass — low music
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. roll — a cake
  24. press — to push

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