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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.

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: prune · press · land · mine · scale · board · bear · perch

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. press — a publisher
  3. press — newspapers
  4. prune — to trim
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. mine — for digging
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. bear — the animal
  12. prune — to trim
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. scale — size or range
  15. scale — in music
  16. land — a country
  17. press — to push
  18. board — to get on
  19. land — ground
  20. perch — the fish
  21. land — to come down
  22. board — a committee
  23. bear — the animal
  24. board — a flat piece

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