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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: prune · charge · press · row · safe · pound · march · mouse

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. row — to paddle
  4. march — the month
  5. prune — to trim
  6. march — the month
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. charge — a price
  9. press — a publisher
  10. march — music
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. press — newspapers
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. charge — in control
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. prune — to trim
  18. row — a line
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. charge — electricity
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. pound — a weight
  24. mouse — the animal

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