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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: ball · last · rest · rock · press · chip · prune · content

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. prune — to trim
  3. rock — a stone
  4. ball — a dance
  5. rest — a break
  6. last — to go on
  7. content — the amount
  8. press — to push
  9. press — newspapers
  10. last — final
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. press — a publisher
  13. chip — for betting
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rest — what's left
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. rock — music
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. content — happy
  20. prune — to trim
  21. chip — to eat
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. last — finally
  24. chip — in a computer

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