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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: bound · scale · prune · pit · cabinet · chair

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. bound — certain
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. pit — a hole
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. scale — size or range
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. bound — obliged
  11. prune — to trim
  12. scale — in music
  13. prune — to trim
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. chair — a leader
  16. bound — tied together
  17. pit — in a race
  18. cabinet — ministers

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