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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 124 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: squash · net · prune · file · racket · charge · mark · chip

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. net — after costs
  4. mark — a grade
  5. net — for catching
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. charge — in control
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. chip — to eat
  10. net — in sport
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. mark — a trace
  13. prune — to trim
  14. squash — the sport
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. prune — to trim
  17. chip — for betting
  18. charge — a price
  19. file — a line of people
  20. squash — to crush
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. charge — electricity
  23. file — a document
  24. prune — the fruit

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