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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: track · kick · prune · press · current · hand · rush · key

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. press — a publisher
  3. track — a song
  4. press — newspapers
  5. key — for a lock
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. press — to push
  8. hand — help
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. track — a path
  11. key — in music
  12. kick — in football
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. current — electric
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. current — happening now
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. prune — to trim
  19. rush — hurry
  20. prune — to trim
  21. current — of water
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. track — to keep track
  24. key — the most important part

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