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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: press · rock · cue · net · lean · file · fork · prune

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. cue — for pool
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. lean — thin
  5. prune — to trim
  6. file — a document
  7. rock — a stone
  8. press — to push
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. net — in sport
  11. net — for catching
  12. press — newspapers
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. file — a tool
  15. prune — to trim
  16. file — a line of people
  17. rock — music
  18. lean — to bend
  19. cue — a hint
  20. cue — a signal
  21. fork — in a road
  22. net — after costs
  23. press — a publisher
  24. fork — a garden 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