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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: pound · press · cue · prune · ball · chip · net · arm

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. pound — a weight
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. prune — to trim
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. prune — to trim
  7. cue — for pool
  8. press — to push
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. net — for catching
  11. press — a publisher
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. ball — a dance
  15. net — after costs
  16. chip — to eat
  17. cue — a hint
  18. press — newspapers
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. ball — a great time
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. cue — a signal
  23. chip — for betting
  24. net — in sport

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