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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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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: row · prune · arm · pit · wake · deal · pound · press

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. prune — to trim
  4. pit — a hole
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. row — to paddle
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. row — a line
  9. pit — in a race
  10. pound — a weight
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. press — a publisher
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. press — to push
  16. wake — a trail
  17. deal — to handle
  18. press — newspapers
  19. prune — to trim
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. arm — part of the body

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