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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: foot · prune · pound · cabinet · current · fine · nail · date

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. prune — to trim
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. current — electric
  6. current — of water
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. prune — to trim
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. fine — all right
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. date — the fruit
  18. pound — a weight
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. current — happening now
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. foot — a measure

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