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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · present · prune · craft · chest · bark · pitch · fine

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. craft — boats
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. net — after costs
  7. net — for catching
  8. fine — all right
  9. chest — a box
  10. present — a gift
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. prune — to trim
  13. craft — a skill
  14. chest — of your body
  15. present — the time now
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. prune — to trim
  19. pitch — completely
  20. bark — to shout
  21. fine — high quality
  22. net — in sport
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. present — there

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