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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 · scale · press · prune · rule · can · cap · dip

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. rule — government
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. can — a tin
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. scale — size or range
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. dip — to sink
  10. press — to push
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. cap — a hat
  13. prune — to trim
  14. cap — of ice
  15. rule — a law
  16. can — to be able to
  17. can — a tin
  18. press — a publisher
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. press — newspapers
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. prune — to trim
  23. scale — in music
  24. dip — a sauce

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