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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

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 · prune · march · board · snap · root · mine · firm

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. net — after costs
  3. prune — to trim
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. firm — steady
  7. root — the cause
  8. march — music
  9. march — the month
  10. firm — a company
  11. prune — to trim
  12. net — in sport
  13. net — for catching
  14. root — of a word
  15. firm — decided
  16. board — a committee
  17. root — of a plant
  18. snap — to click
  19. mine — for digging
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. march — the month
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. board — to get on

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