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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: pop · game · bore · can · safe · prune · scale · cabinet

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. game — wild animals
  3. pop — soda
  4. bore — to drill
  5. pop — to visit
  6. scale — size or range
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. prune — to trim
  10. game — a match
  11. can — to be able to
  12. can — a tin
  13. scale — in music
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. pop — music
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. prune — to trim
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. can — a tin

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