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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: rush · trunk · stand · prune · pound · cap · racket · press

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. press — a publisher
  5. cap — a lid
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. press — to push
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. pound — a weight
  12. rush — hurry
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. cap — a hat
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. press — newspapers
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. prune — to trim
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. prune — to trim
  23. cap — of ice
  24. stand — for spectators

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