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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 · present · mark · lash · capital · foot · club

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. mark — a grade
  3. club — for dancing
  4. capital — money
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. club — a group
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. mark — a trace
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. prune — to trim
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. present — there
  14. prune — to trim
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. club — for golf
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. present — the time now
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. foot — a measure
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. capital — a city

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