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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: can · rock · prune · pop · cap · mark · net · press

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. pop — to visit
  3. rock — music
  4. press — newspapers
  5. net — in sport
  6. prune — to trim
  7. can — a tin
  8. mark — a trace
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. press — to push
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. cap — of ice
  13. mark — a grade
  14. cap — a lid
  15. can — to be able to
  16. prune — to trim
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. net — after costs
  19. pop — music
  20. can — a tin
  21. pop — soda
  22. net — for catching
  23. rock — a stone
  24. cap — a hat

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