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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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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. chest — of your body
  4. chest — a box
  5. key — in music
  6. key — for a lock
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. key — the most important part
  9. press — to push
  10. net — for catching
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. press — newspapers
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. mine — for digging
  15. chest — of your body
  16. net — in sport
  17. net — after costs
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. ball — a great time
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. prune — to trim
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. press — a publisher
  24. prune — to trim

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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