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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 · roll · leaves · prune · racket · key · capital · bound

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. prune — to trim
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. key — the most important part
  5. bound — obliged
  6. capital — money
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. bound — certain
  10. roll — a cake
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. bound — tied together
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. prune — to trim
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. key — for a lock
  19. capital — a city
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. roll — a list

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