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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: prune · bank · scale · net · can · wound · board · craft

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. scale — in music
  3. craft — boats
  4. bank — of a river
  5. board — to get on
  6. can — to be able to
  7. wound — an injury
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. net — after costs
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. net — for catching
  13. bank — for money
  14. can — a tin
  15. scale — size or range
  16. craft — a skill
  17. bank — for money
  18. net — in sport
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. can — a tin
  22. board — a committee
  23. prune — to trim
  24. wound — an injury

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