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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 · rest · staff · wake · cue · ball · net · press

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. rest — a break
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. ball — a dance
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. rest — what's left
  7. staff — employees
  8. cue — for pool
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. wake — a trail
  11. net — in sport
  12. press — a publisher
  13. press — to push
  14. net — for catching
  15. prune — to trim
  16. staff — a stick
  17. cue — a signal
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. staff — employees
  20. rest — what's left
  21. net — after costs
  22. cue — a hint
  23. ball — a great time
  24. press — newspapers

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