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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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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 · rule · prune · bound · pop · dip · perch · cap

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  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. dip — to sink
  2. cap — a lid
  3. net — for catching
  4. bound — certain
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. net — in sport
  7. bound — tied together
  8. rule — a law
  9. pop — music
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. cap — a hat
  12. rule — government
  13. pop — to visit
  14. net — after costs
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — to trim
  17. pop — soda
  18. cap — of ice
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. perch — the fish
  21. bound — obliged
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. rule — to rule out
  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