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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: net · charge · saw · dip · deal · cell · prune · staff

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. staff — employees
  4. saw — the tool
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. deal — to handle
  7. prune — to trim
  8. charge — electricity
  9. charge — a price
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. cell — in biology
  15. net — after costs
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. prune — to trim
  18. staff — a stick
  19. charge — in control
  20. dip — to sink
  21. cell — a phone
  22. staff — employees
  23. net — in sport
  24. dip — a sauce

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