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

Word bank: wave · press · wind · net · prune · root · rock · pit

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. net — in sport
  4. net — for catching
  5. press — to push
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. net — after costs
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. press — newspapers
  10. rock — music
  11. press — a publisher
  12. wind — moving air
  13. root — of a plant
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. wind — moving air
  16. root — the cause
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. pit — in a race
  21. prune — to trim
  22. prune — to trim
  23. root — of a word
  24. pit — a hole

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