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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 120 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 · suit · safe · last · field · prune · pound · cue

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. last — to go on
  3. suit — clothes
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. press — a publisher
  7. cue — a signal
  8. press — newspapers
  9. field — a subject
  10. suit — to fit
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. suit — in cards
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. field — for sport
  15. last — finally
  16. prune — to trim
  17. field — farmland
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. cue — a hint
  20. prune — to trim
  21. press — to push
  22. last — final
  23. pound — a weight
  24. cue — for pool

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