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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 116 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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. prune — to trim
  5. perch — the fish
  6. key — the most important part
  7. drill — army training
  8. drill — the tool
  9. rock — music
  10. ball — a great time
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. press — a publisher
  13. key — for a lock
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. press — to push
  16. press — newspapers
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. prune — to trim
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. rock — a stone
  23. ball — a dance
  24. drill — a practice

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