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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. key — in music
  5. prune — to trim
  6. scale — in music
  7. craft — boats
  8. cue — for pool
  9. key — the most important part
  10. cue — a signal
  11. cue — a hint
  12. prune — to trim
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. scale — size or range
  15. cap — a hat
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. press — a publisher
  18. cap — a lid
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. press — newspapers
  21. craft — a skill
  22. kick — in football
  23. cap — of ice
  24. key — for a lock

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