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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · patient · charge · net · dip · bear · cap · craft

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. net — for catching
  4. cap — of ice
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. craft — a skill
  7. prune — to trim
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. craft — boats
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. prune — to trim
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. charge — a price
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. cap — a hat
  16. net — after costs
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. charge — in control
  19. bear — the animal
  20. charge — electricity
  21. bear — the animal
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. cap — a lid
  24. dip — to sink

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