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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
468
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: march · trunk · prune · bay · racket · press · mouse · ball

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. press — to push
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. press — a publisher
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. march — the month
  13. ball — a dance
  14. march — music
  15. ball — a great time
  16. press — newspapers
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. prune — to trim
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. march — the month
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. prune — to trim
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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