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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.

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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: prune · firm · mouse · net · pass · stock · game · bank

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. net — for catching
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. prune — to trim
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. firm — a company
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. game — a match
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. firm — decided
  12. stock — goods
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. pass — a permit
  15. net — after costs
  16. game — wild animals
  17. stock — shares
  18. prune — to trim
  19. bank — of a river
  20. net — in sport
  21. bank — for money
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. bank — for money
  24. mouse — the animal

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