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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. bound — tied together
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. can — a tin
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. prune — to trim
  7. bulb — for light
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. pass — a permit
  10. can — a tin
  11. cell — a phone
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cell — in biology
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bound — certain
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. prune — to trim
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. bound — obliged
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. can — to be able to

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