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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.

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: charge · prune · ground · wind · file · net · bass · bank

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. net — in sport
  3. ground — crushed
  4. bass — low music
  5. net — after costs
  6. charge — a price
  7. bank — of a river
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. wind — moving air
  10. bank — for money
  11. bass — the fish
  12. wind — moving air
  13. net — for catching
  14. charge — in control
  15. ground — a position
  16. ground — the earth
  17. file — a document
  18. file — a line of people
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. file — a tool
  21. charge — electricity
  22. bank — for money
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. prune — to trim

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