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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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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: pound · bank · cabinet · cell · leaves · prune · staff · game

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. staff — employees
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. prune — to trim
  6. game — a match
  7. cell — a phone
  8. staff — a stick
  9. bank — of a river
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. bank — for money
  15. staff — employees
  16. pound — a weight
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. cell — in biology
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. prune — to trim
  24. game — wild animals

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