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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: sharp · bank · saw · prune · stem · pit · net · current

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. current — happening now
  3. pit — in a race
  4. current — electric
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. bank — for money
  9. net — in sport
  10. sharp — clever
  11. net — for catching
  12. saw — the tool
  13. saw — the tool
  14. net — after costs
  15. pit — a hole
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. bank — of a river
  18. current — of water
  19. prune — to trim
  20. stem — to come from
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. prune — to trim
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. bank — for money

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