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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 · can · stick · bulb · cabinet · fork · racket · net

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. prune — to trim
  3. can — a tin
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. fork — in a road
  6. bulb — for light
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. bulb — for light
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. net — for catching
  13. net — in sport
  14. can — a tin
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. net — after costs
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. prune — to trim

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