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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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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: prune · mouse · calf · pitch · cabinet · pound · bowl · mine

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. prune — to trim
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. mine — for digging
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. pound — a weight
  17. prune — to trim
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. pitch — completely
  24. prune — the fruit

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