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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: ball · squash · pitch · bear · toast · mine · prune · press

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. mine — for digging
  3. press — a publisher
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. ball — a dance
  8. prune — to trim
  9. pitch — completely
  10. ball — a great time
  11. squash — to crush
  12. prune — to trim
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. press — newspapers
  17. toast — bread
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. press — to push
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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