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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: hand · stick · net · prune · pound · plane · rock · swing

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. hand — in cards
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. net — for catching
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. net — after costs
  10. prune — to trim
  11. prune — to trim
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. swing — to play on
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. pound — a weight
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. hand — help
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. rock — music
  20. swing — in golf
  21. rock — a stone
  22. swing — music
  23. plane — a tool
  24. pound — to hit hard

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