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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: charge · foot · prune · pound · spell · court · mouse · press

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. press — to push
  3. prune — to trim
  4. charge — a price
  5. charge — in control
  6. spell — letters
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. court — for sport
  9. court — of law
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. pound — a weight
  12. court — of a king
  13. press — newspapers
  14. spell — a short time
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. press — a publisher
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. charge — electricity
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. foot — a measure
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. spell — magic
  24. prune — to trim

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