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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 · pass · prune · land · swing · bay · ball · present

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. ball — a great time
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. pass — a permit
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. land — a country
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. swing — in golf
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. present — there
  14. swing — to play on
  15. present — the time now
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. land — to come down
  20. ball — a dance
  21. land — ground
  22. present — a gift
  23. swing — music
  24. prune — to trim

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