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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 · fall · court · can · toast · stem · date · pop

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. press — newspapers
  5. date — the fruit
  6. fall — to drop
  7. fall — to drop
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. can — to be able to
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. press — to push
  14. pop — soda
  15. court — of law
  16. press — a publisher
  17. can — a tin
  18. pop — to visit
  19. stem — to come from
  20. court — of a king
  21. pop — music
  22. court — for sport
  23. toast — bread
  24. can — a tin

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