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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: rush · prune · current · bass · wind · pit · can · net

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. net — for catching
  3. prune — to trim
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. prune — to trim
  6. can — a tin
  7. wind — moving air
  8. wind — moving air
  9. current — of water
  10. current — electric
  11. can — to be able to
  12. pit — in a race
  13. pit — a hole
  14. current — happening now
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. bass — low music
  17. bass — the fish
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. rush — hurry
  22. net — after costs
  23. can — a tin
  24. net — in sport

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