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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 · game · prune · pass · press · charge · race · mouse

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. game — wild animals
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. press — newspapers
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. race — humankind
  10. prune — to trim
  11. press — to push
  12. prune — to trim
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. charge — in control
  16. race — a contest
  17. pass — a permit
  18. press — a publisher
  19. charge — a price
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. race — the arms race
  22. kick — in football
  23. game — a match
  24. charge — electricity

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