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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: prune · court · jam · rush · press · firm · bear · drill

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. rush — hurry
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. prune — to trim
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. drill — army training
  7. drill — the tool
  8. bear — the animal
  9. court — of a king
  10. bear — the animal
  11. court — of law
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. court — for sport
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. prune — to trim
  17. press — a publisher
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. firm — steady
  20. firm — decided
  21. firm — a company
  22. press — newspapers
  23. press — to push
  24. drill — a practice

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