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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: bore · kid · swing · fine · stock · press · prune · object

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. fine — high quality
  4. fine — all right
  5. object — an aim
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. object — a thing
  8. prune — to trim
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. bore — to tire
  11. swing — in golf
  12. kid — child
  13. swing — music
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. stock — goods
  16. press — a publisher
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. bore — to drill
  19. object — to protest
  20. stock — shares
  21. swing — to play on
  22. press — newspapers
  23. kid — to tease
  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