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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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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: date · present · kick · scale · drill · prune · rash · key

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. key — the most important part
  6. drill — army training
  7. scale — in music
  8. drill — a practice
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. date — the fruit
  11. prune — to trim
  12. scale — size or range
  13. present — there
  14. drill — the tool
  15. present — the time now
  16. rash — hasty
  17. kick — in football
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. key — for a lock
  20. key — in music
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. present — a gift
  24. prune — to trim

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