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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.

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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: root · firm · press · pass · bound · cell · bowl · prune

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. firm — decided
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. bound — obliged
  6. bound — tied together
  7. press — to push
  8. firm — steady
  9. root — of a word
  10. firm — a company
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. cell — in biology
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. root — of a plant
  16. press — newspapers
  17. pass — a permit
  18. prune — to trim
  19. root — the cause
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. prune — to trim
  22. bound — certain
  23. press — a publisher
  24. bowl — a football final

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