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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 · ball · prune · mouse · bank · fork · ruler · season

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. press — a publisher
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. season — in sport
  6. ball — a dance
  7. bank — of a river
  8. prune — to trim
  9. press — to push
  10. bank — for money
  11. season — of the year
  12. press — newspapers
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ball — a great time
  15. bank — for money
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. prune — to trim
  22. fork — in a road
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. ball — a round shape

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