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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 120 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: sharp · press · file · court · rock · bulb · prune · stem

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. prune — to trim
  5. rock — a stone
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. court — of a king
  8. prune — to trim
  9. press — newspapers
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. rock — music
  12. bulb — for light
  13. sharp — clever
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. press — a publisher
  16. press — to push
  17. stem — to come from
  18. file — a line of people
  19. file — a tool
  20. court — of law
  21. file — a document
  22. court — for sport
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. bulb — for light

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