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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: net · season · cabinet · craft · mouse · fork · pound · prune

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. fork — in a road
  4. craft — boats
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. prune — to trim
  9. season — of the year
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. net — in sport
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. prune — to trim
  18. season — in sport
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. net — after costs
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. craft — a skill
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. pound — a weight

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