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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: bark · current · prune · charge · bore · net · bay · firm

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. net — for catching
  3. prune — to trim
  4. bore — to drill
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. bark — to shout
  7. firm — a company
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. charge — a price
  11. current — electric
  12. net — in sport
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. net — after costs
  16. prune — to trim
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. firm — steady
  19. current — of water
  20. current — happening now
  21. charge — in control
  22. bore — to tire
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. firm — decided

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