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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
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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: tube · scale · prune · pit · cabinet · bore · key · club

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. key — for a lock
  5. key — in music
  6. scale — size or range
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. tube — a container
  9. club — for dancing
  10. pit — in a race
  11. prune — to trim
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. prune — to trim
  14. bore — to tire
  15. tube — the underground
  16. bore — to drill
  17. club — for golf
  18. pit — a hole
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. scale — in music
  21. club — a group
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. key — the most important part
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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