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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: suit · mouse · pass · press · prune · wound · march · game

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. prune — to trim
  3. suit — to fit
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. game — wild animals
  7. march — the month
  8. suit — in cards
  9. wound — an injury
  10. march — the month
  11. suit — clothes
  12. prune — to trim
  13. press — to push
  14. game — a match
  15. press — a publisher
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. press — newspapers
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. pass — a permit
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. mouse — the animal

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