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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 120 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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. net — after costs
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. prune — to trim
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wound — an injury
  8. band — a music group
  9. suit — to fit
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. suit — clothes
  12. pound — a weight
  13. mug — a cup
  14. suit — in cards
  15. prune — to trim
  16. mug — a face
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. band — a ring
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. net — in sport
  21. mug — to rob
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. net — for catching

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