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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: kick · cue · prune · press · leaves · capital · chair · spell

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. capital — money
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. prune — to trim
  7. press — a publisher
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. prune — to trim
  10. capital — a city
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. spell — magic
  13. press — to push
  14. cue — a hint
  15. kick — in football
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. chair — a leader
  18. press — newspapers
  19. spell — a short time
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. cue — a signal
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. spell — letters

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