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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: prune · charge · saw · stand · wind · dip · pitcher · net

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. wind — moving air
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. net — in sport
  6. stand — to bear
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. wind — moving air
  9. charge — electricity
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. net — for catching
  13. saw — the tool
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. prune — to trim
  16. saw — the tool
  17. net — after costs
  18. dip — to sink
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. charge — in control
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. prune — to trim
  24. charge — a price

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