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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 120 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: scale · sharp · press · prune · key · leaves · current · pound

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. press — to push
  4. key — the most important part
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. current — electric
  9. current — happening now
  10. scale — size or range
  11. prune — to trim
  12. prune — to trim
  13. key — in music
  14. scale — in music
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. press — newspapers
  18. sharp — clever
  19. pound — a weight
  20. current — of water
  21. key — for a lock
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. leaves — of a tree

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