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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: press · fork · scale · bulb · cue · bank · prune · mate

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. mate — a friend
  3. bulb — for light
  4. cue — a hint
  5. press — to push
  6. mate — to breed
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. bank — for money
  10. bulb — for light
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. press — a publisher
  13. cue — a signal
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. press — newspapers
  16. bank — of a river
  17. bank — for money
  18. prune — to trim
  19. mate — a partner
  20. prune — to trim
  21. cue — for pool
  22. scale — in music
  23. fork — in a road
  24. scale — size or range

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