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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: rock · spring · prune · mug · band · press · bowl · rush

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. rock — a stone
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. rock — music
  7. rush — hurry
  8. press — to push
  9. spring — the season
  10. spring — of water
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. mug — a cup
  13. prune — to trim
  14. prune — to trim
  15. mug — to rob
  16. spring — a coil
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. press — a publisher
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. press — newspapers
  22. band — a ring
  23. band — a music group
  24. mug — a face

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