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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 116 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: lie · key · pop · mine · cell · scale · prune · ball

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. pop — to visit
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. ball — a great time
  5. key — for a lock
  6. cell — a phone
  7. key — in music
  8. scale — size or range
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. scale — in music
  11. cell — in biology
  12. prune — to trim
  13. pop — music
  14. lie — to recline
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. ball — a dance
  17. prune — to trim
  18. key — the most important part
  19. mine — for digging
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. pop — soda

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