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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mine · cell · prune · cap · club · season · bound · board

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. cap — a hat
  5. board — to get on
  6. bound — obliged
  7. club — for golf
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. club — for dancing
  10. mine — for digging
  11. cell — a phone
  12. season — of the year
  13. prune — to trim
  14. board — a committee
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. cap — of ice
  17. season — in sport
  18. bound — tied together
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. club — a group
  21. prune — to trim
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. cell — in biology
  24. bound — certain

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