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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.

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 · firm · face · prune · stick · mine · board · capital

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. mine — for digging
  3. net — in sport
  4. prune — to trim
  5. firm — decided
  6. face — part of the head
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. net — for catching
  9. firm — steady
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. face — to point toward
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. firm — a company
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. board — to get on
  16. capital — money
  17. capital — a city
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. face — to confront
  21. net — after costs
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. board — a committee
  24. capital — a big letter

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