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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: bound · mug · pound · pitcher · cabinet · prune · press · current

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. prune — to trim
  3. bound — certain
  4. prune — to trim
  5. current — electric
  6. press — to push
  7. mug — a face
  8. press — a publisher
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. mug — a cup
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. bound — tied together
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. current — of water
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. bound — obliged
  20. press — newspapers
  21. current — happening now
  22. pound — a weight
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. prune — the fruit

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