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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: racket · rest · field · mouse · mate · press · jam · prune

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. prune — to trim
  7. prune — to trim
  8. press — newspapers
  9. mate — a friend
  10. rest — a break
  11. field — farmland
  12. mate — to breed
  13. press — a publisher
  14. mate — a partner
  15. rest — what's left
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. press — to push
  19. field — for sport
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. field — a subject
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. prune — the fruit

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