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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 116 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 · game · prune · sharp · suit · row · dip · current

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. prune — to trim
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. current — happening now
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. game — wild animals
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. press — newspapers
  9. current — electric
  10. row — to paddle
  11. current — of water
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. press — a publisher
  14. press — to push
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. sharp — clever
  17. suit — clothes
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. dip — to sink
  20. game — a match
  21. suit — to fit
  22. row — a line
  23. suit — in cards
  24. game — a kind of play

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