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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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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 · firm · prune · rule · suit · court · branch · shower

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. press — to push
  4. rule — government
  5. prune — to trim
  6. firm — a company
  7. rule — a law
  8. firm — steady
  9. shower — rain
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. suit — to fit
  12. firm — decided
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. press — newspapers
  16. court — of law
  17. shower — to wash
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. suit — clothes
  20. branch — a division
  21. court — of a king
  22. suit — in cards
  23. press — a publisher
  24. court — for sport

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