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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: vault · club · prune · mug · wind · cabinet · swing · scale

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. mug — a face
  3. swing — to play on
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. scale — in music
  6. wind — moving air
  7. swing — in golf
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. mug — to rob
  12. prune — to trim
  13. club — a group
  14. scale — size or range
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. swing — music
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. wind — moving air
  19. club — for dancing
  20. mug — a cup
  21. club — for golf
  22. vault — a safe
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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