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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: charge · mark · band · mouse · dip · craft · prune · net

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. dip — to sink
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. mark — a trace
  5. charge — a price
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. band — a ring
  8. prune — to trim
  9. net — after costs
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. prune — to trim
  14. mark — a grade
  15. charge — electricity
  16. net — in sport
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. craft — a skill
  20. band — a music group
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. net — for catching
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. charge — in control

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