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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: press · prune · bulb · pop · key · court · lie · bear

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bulb — for light
  5. prune — to trim
  6. key — in music
  7. press — a publisher
  8. court — of law
  9. bear — the animal
  10. pop — to visit
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. press — to push
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. key — for a lock
  15. pop — soda
  16. lie — to recline
  17. bulb — for light
  18. court — for sport
  19. court — of a king
  20. pop — music
  21. prune — to trim
  22. key — the most important part
  23. press — newspapers
  24. lie — an untruth

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