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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 120 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: file · rock · stock · saw · mark · prune · net · clip

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. prune — to trim
  3. file — a tool
  4. file — a document
  5. mark — a trace
  6. rock — a stone
  7. saw — the tool
  8. net — in sport
  9. net — after costs
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. net — for catching
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. file — a line of people
  14. rock — music
  15. saw — the tool
  16. clip — for paper
  17. stock — shares
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. clip — to cut
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. prune — to trim
  22. mark — a grade
  23. clip — a video
  24. stock — goods

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