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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: spring · roll · press · chip · stick · prune · band · mark

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. press — to push
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. roll — a list
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. prune — to trim
  8. mark — a grade
  9. mark — a trace
  10. chip — to eat
  11. spring — the season
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. spring — of water
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. band — a ring
  16. band — a music group
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. prune — to trim
  21. roll — a cake
  22. spring — a coil
  23. chip — for betting
  24. press — newspapers

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