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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 · fine · drill · foot · pitcher · wound · prune · mark

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. prune — to trim
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. drill — the tool
  5. mark — a grade
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. fine — all right
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. wound — an injury
  10. fine — high quality
  11. drill — army training
  12. drill — a practice
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. mark — a trace
  15. press — newspapers
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. press — a publisher
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. press — to push
  21. wound — an injury
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. foot — a measure
  24. prune — to trim

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