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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: bank · mark · tear · present · board · net · prune · bulb

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. prune — to trim
  3. tear — from crying
  4. present — a gift
  5. net — in sport
  6. bulb — for light
  7. present — there
  8. board — to get on
  9. mark — a trace
  10. bank — for money
  11. mark — a grade
  12. tear — to rip
  13. bulb — for light
  14. board — a committee
  15. bank — of a river
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. present — the time now
  18. net — for catching
  19. tear — from crying
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. prune — to trim
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. net — after costs

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