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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: foot · prune · branch · swing · bass · key · face · court

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. key — in music
  3. key — for a lock
  4. face — to point toward
  5. key — the most important part
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. swing — music
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. foot — a measure
  10. face — to confront
  11. bass — the fish
  12. swing — in golf
  13. swing — to play on
  14. prune — to trim
  15. court — of law
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. branch — a division
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. prune — to trim
  20. face — part of the head
  21. court — of a king
  22. court — for sport
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. bass — the instrument

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