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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.

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 · spring · leaves · prune · staff · pitcher · bark

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. spring — of water
  4. spring — a coil
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. net — for catching
  7. staff — employees
  8. staff — employees
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. net — in sport
  11. present — there
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. staff — a stick
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. net — after costs
  17. prune — to trim
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. bark — to shout
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. prune — to trim
  22. present — the time now
  23. present — a gift
  24. spring — the season

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