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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 120 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: prune · charge · cabinet · cue · pop · bark · pound · chair

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. pop — to visit
  6. cue — for pool
  7. chair — a leader
  8. pop — soda
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. prune — to trim
  11. pound — a weight
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. charge — in control
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. bark — to shout
  16. cue — a signal
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cue — a hint
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. charge — electricity
  22. charge — a price
  23. prune — to trim
  24. pop — music

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