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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. fork — in a road
  5. deal — to handle
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. net — after costs
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. net — for catching
  11. current — of water
  12. race — the arms race
  13. net — in sport
  14. race — a contest
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. race — humankind
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. current — happening now
  20. prune — to trim
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. current — electric
  24. deal — an agreement

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