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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: band · perch · prune · net · file · rush · charge · rock

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. charge — in control
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. rock — a stone
  5. net — in sport
  6. file — a tool
  7. prune — to trim
  8. file — a document
  9. file — a line of people
  10. charge — a price
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. prune — to trim
  13. charge — electricity
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. rock — music
  18. rush — hurry
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. band — a music group
  21. perch — the fish
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. net — after costs
  24. band — a ring

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