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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: band · perch · press · bulb · ball · key · fine · prune

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. press — to push
  4. bulb — for light
  5. ball — a great time
  6. fine — all right
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. press — newspapers
  9. key — in music
  10. band — a music group
  11. press — a publisher
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. prune — to trim
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. key — for a lock
  16. fine — high quality
  17. ball — a dance
  18. prune — to trim
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. band — a ring
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. bulb — for light
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. perch — the fish

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