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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: bass · prune · key · press · roll · charge · degree · season

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. prune — to trim
  3. season — in sport
  4. bass — the fish
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. charge — electricity
  7. degree — an amount
  8. press — newspapers
  9. roll — a list
  10. key — for a lock
  11. key — in music
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. press — a publisher
  14. charge — in control
  15. degree — temperature
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. press — to push
  18. degree — from a university
  19. season — of the year
  20. key — the most important part
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. charge — a price
  23. bass — low music
  24. prune — to trim

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