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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
468
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: press · bound · perch · prune · mine · stick · stem · racket

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. press — to push
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. press — a publisher
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. mine — for digging
  9. stem — to come from
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. bound — obliged
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. perch — the fish
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. press — newspapers
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. bound — tied together
  22. prune — to trim
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. bound — certain

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