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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 · prune · bank · club · track · scale · wound · cell

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. cell — a phone
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. track — to keep track
  6. cell — in biology
  7. scale — size or range
  8. bank — of a river
  9. wound — an injury
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. scale — in music
  12. bank — for money
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. wound — an injury
  15. prune — to trim
  16. bank — for money
  17. club — a group
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. club — for dancing
  21. track — a song
  22. track — a path
  23. prune — to trim
  24. club — for golf

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