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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: fork · wake · band · press · squash · prune · present · cabinet

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. press — newspapers
  3. fork — in a road
  4. present — a gift
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. press — a publisher
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. band — a music group
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. press — to push
  11. squash — the sport
  12. present — the time now
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. present — there
  17. prune — to trim
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. wake — a trail
  20. band — a ring
  21. prune — to trim
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. squash — to crush
  24. wake — before a funeral

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