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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: row · prune · bass · spell · press · mouse · cabinet · chip

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. chip — to eat
  4. spell — letters
  5. row — to paddle
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. press — to push
  9. prune — to trim
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. bass — the fish
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. row — a line
  15. press — a publisher
  16. spell — a short time
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. bass — low music
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. press — newspapers
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. spell — magic
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. chip — for betting

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