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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 · mine · pass · pop · press · net · file · stand

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. mine — for digging
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. pop — to visit
  8. prune — to trim
  9. stand — to bear
  10. file — a document
  11. pass — a permit
  12. net — for catching
  13. pop — music
  14. net — in sport
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. press — newspapers
  17. net — after costs
  18. pop — soda
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. press — to push
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. press — a publisher
  23. prune — to trim
  24. file — a tool

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