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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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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: mine · prune · pass · present · press · wake · court · bulb

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. present — a gift
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. present — the time now
  8. prune — to trim
  9. court — of law
  10. press — newspapers
  11. prune — to trim
  12. court — for sport
  13. present — there
  14. press — to push
  15. pass — a permit
  16. press — a publisher
  17. wake — a trail
  18. bulb — for light
  19. mine — for digging
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. bulb — for light
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. court — of a king

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