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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.

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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: coach · prune · dip · plane · file · deal · net · current

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. net — after costs
  6. file — a line of people
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. current — of water
  10. deal — to handle
  11. net — in sport
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. prune — to trim
  14. dip — to sink
  15. current — happening now
  16. prune — to trim
  17. file — a tool
  18. current — electric
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. net — for catching
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. file — a document
  24. plane — a tool

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