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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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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: net · stem · fan · row · prune · racket · firm · mark

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. net — for catching
  3. mark — a grade
  4. row — a line
  5. mark — a trace
  6. net — in sport
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. firm — decided
  10. prune — to trim
  11. firm — a company
  12. net — after costs
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. stem — to come from
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. row — to paddle
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. prune — to trim
  24. firm — steady

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