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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: rest · press · bat · toast · fine · game · prune · staff

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. toast — bread
  3. press — a publisher
  4. rest — a break
  5. rest — what's left
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. staff — employees
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. staff — employees
  11. staff — a stick
  12. prune — to trim
  13. game — wild animals
  14. fine — all right
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. prune — to trim
  19. fine — high quality
  20. rest — what's left
  21. press — newspapers
  22. game — a match
  23. press — to push
  24. bat — 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