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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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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: pound · press · charge · pit · cabinet · staff · kid · prune

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. prune — to trim
  4. kid — to tease
  5. prune — to trim
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. press — to push
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. charge — in control
  10. kid — child
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. pound — a weight
  13. charge — electricity
  14. charge — a price
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. staff — employees
  17. staff — employees
  18. pit — a hole
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. press — newspapers
  21. pit — in a race
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. staff — a stick
  24. press — a publisher

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