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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 · bound · bank · lie · pit · club · prune · field

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. bound — obliged
  3. field — farmland
  4. bank — for money
  5. bound — tied together
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. field — for sport
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. bank — of a river
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. bound — certain
  13. club — for golf
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. club — for dancing
  16. prune — to trim
  17. bank — for money
  18. field — a subject
  19. pit — a hole
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. prune — to trim
  22. club — a group
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. pit — in a race

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