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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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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 · object · season · rest · racket · pound · cabinet · kid

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. pound — a weight
  4. object — a thing
  5. object — an aim
  6. kid — to tease
  7. season — in sport
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. rest — a break
  11. kid — child
  12. season — of the year
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. rest — what's left
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. object — to protest
  17. rest — what's left
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. prune — to trim
  20. prune — to trim
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. season — to add flavour

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