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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.

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: prune · kick · key · land · rush · ball · kid · scale

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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. prune — to trim
  4. prune — to trim
  5. key — in music
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. rush — hurry
  9. land — ground
  10. scale — size or range
  11. ball — a great time
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. kick — in football
  14. land — to come down
  15. land — a country
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. kid — to tease
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. ball — a dance
  22. kid — child
  23. key — for a lock
  24. scale — in music

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