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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: spell · pitcher · stick · rule · prune · season · bound · cabinet

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. spell — letters
  5. spell — a short time
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. prune — to trim
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. season — of the year
  14. rule — government
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. bound — certain
  18. bound — tied together
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. season — in sport
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. spell — magic
  23. bound — obliged
  24. rule — a law

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