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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: file · racket · track · perch · press · key · season · toast

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. file — a line of people
  5. perch — the fish
  6. toast — bread
  7. key — for a lock
  8. key — the most important part
  9. press — to push
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. track — a path
  12. press — a publisher
  13. press — newspapers
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. track — to keep track
  16. season — in sport
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. season — of the year
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. key — in music
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. file — a document
  24. track — a song

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