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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: hide · tear · press · ball · pitch · game · prune · date

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. press — newspapers
  3. ball — a great time
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. date — the fruit
  6. pitch — completely
  7. prune — to trim
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. tear — from crying
  10. tear — to rip
  11. game — a match
  12. press — to push
  13. press — a publisher
  14. prune — to trim
  15. ball — a dance
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. game — wild animals
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. tear — from crying

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