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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: swing · deal · mark · sharp · ruler · prune · press · trunk

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. swing — music
  4. press — newspapers
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. press — a publisher
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. press — to push
  9. deal — to handle
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. prune — to trim
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. prune — to trim
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. swing — in golf
  18. mark — a grade
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. sharp — clever
  21. mark — a trace
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. trunk — of a car

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