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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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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: cabinet · coach · prune · deal · stock · fine · pound · object

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. object — to protest
  3. fine — all right
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. stock — goods
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. deal — to handle
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. object — an aim
  12. pound — a weight
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. fine — high quality
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. prune — to trim
  20. stock — shares
  21. object — a thing
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. prune — to trim

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