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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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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: cue · fork · cap · row · prune · press · plane · foot

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. cap — of ice
  3. cap — a hat
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. press — newspapers
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. cap — a lid
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. row — a line
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. prune — to trim
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. cue — a signal
  15. prune — to trim
  16. press — to push
  17. cue — for pool
  18. plane — a tool
  19. row — to paddle
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. cue — a hint
  22. fork — in a road
  23. press — a publisher
  24. plane — in geometry

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