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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: rash · ground · prune · key · cell · press · tube · mouse

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. rash — hasty
  4. key — in music
  5. tube — a container
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. ground — a position
  8. ground — the earth
  9. press — to push
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. prune — to trim
  12. key — for a lock
  13. press — a publisher
  14. ground — crushed
  15. key — the most important part
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. cell — a phone
  18. press — newspapers
  19. cell — in biology
  20. prune — to trim
  21. tube — the underground
  22. rash — a series
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. tube — in a tire

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