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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: mine · pit · ground · stick · prune · rule · wax · net

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. prune — to trim
  4. net — after costs
  5. ground — the earth
  6. prune — to trim
  7. rule — a law
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. net — in sport
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. mine — for digging
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. net — for catching
  14. rule — government
  15. wax — to grow
  16. ground — crushed
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. pit — in a race
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. ground — a position
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. mine — an explosive

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