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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: prune · can · court · mate · lean · bore · press · fine

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. court — of a king
  3. prune — to trim
  4. lean — to bend
  5. bore — to tire
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. court — for sport
  8. prune — to trim
  9. fine — all right
  10. can — to be able to
  11. bore — to drill
  12. press — to push
  13. mate — a friend
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. mate — to breed
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. fine — high quality
  18. press — newspapers
  19. lean — thin
  20. mate — a partner
  21. court — of law
  22. can — a tin
  23. press — a publisher
  24. bore — gave birth

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