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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: net · pop · snap · vault · press · swing · prune · ground

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. snap — to click
  3. pop — to visit
  4. prune — to trim
  5. prune — to trim
  6. press — newspapers
  7. pop — soda
  8. ground — a position
  9. net — in sport
  10. vault — a safe
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. swing — in golf
  13. pop — music
  14. net — after costs
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. press — a publisher
  18. swing — music
  19. ground — the earth
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. press — to push
  22. net — for catching
  23. ground — crushed
  24. swing — to play on

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