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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.

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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: patient · wound · prune · present · mouse · object · roll · net

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. object — an aim
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. object — a thing
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. present — the time now
  8. present — a gift
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. wound — an injury
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. prune — to trim
  13. roll — a cake
  14. net — for catching
  15. prune — to trim
  16. roll — a list
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. present — there
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. wound — an injury
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. object — to protest
  24. net — after costs

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