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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: swing · pop · bound · prune · net · lean · tube · cabinet

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. pop — music
  3. pop — to visit
  4. net — in sport
  5. net — for catching
  6. lean — thin
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. prune — to trim
  9. bound — tied together
  10. tube — a container
  11. bound — certain
  12. pop — soda
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. tube — the underground
  15. swing — to play on
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. prune — to trim
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. net — after costs
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. lean — to bend
  23. swing — music
  24. bound — obliged

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