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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: prune · key · season · nail · perch · pitcher · club · roll

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. season — in sport
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. perch — the fish
  7. season — of the year
  8. prune — to trim
  9. roll — a cake
  10. key — the most important part
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. key — for a lock
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. prune — to trim
  17. key — in music
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. club — a group
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. club — for golf
  23. club — for dancing
  24. roll — a list

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