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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.

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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 · straw · prune · bore · bat · sharp · stand · deal

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. bat — the animal
  3. bore — to drill
  4. net — after costs
  5. deal — to handle
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. net — for catching
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. net — in sport
  13. prune — to trim
  14. stand — to bear
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. bore — to tire
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. sharp — clever
  23. prune — to trim
  24. deal — an agreement

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