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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: season · hide · net · key · roll · press · last · prune

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. press — newspapers
  4. net — after costs
  5. net — for catching
  6. key — for a lock
  7. prune — to trim
  8. season — in sport
  9. key — in music
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. prune — to trim
  13. last — final
  14. roll — a list
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. key — the most important part
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. press — to push
  19. last — to go on
  20. roll — a cake
  21. last — finally
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. press — a publisher
  24. season — of the year

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