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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.

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: stand · stick · prune · current · net · racket · content · shower

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. net — after costs
  3. current — electric
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. prune — to trim
  6. content — the amount
  7. prune — to trim
  8. content — happy
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stand — to bear
  12. net — in sport
  13. current — of water
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. current — happening now
  16. shower — rain
  17. shower — to wash
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. net — for catching
  24. racket — for tennis

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