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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 · hide · perch · sharp · prune · net · game · roll

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. bank — for money
  3. net — in sport
  4. net — after costs
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. game — wild animals
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. roll — a list
  10. bank — for money
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. prune — to trim
  16. net — for catching
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. perch — the fish
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. bank — of a river
  21. game — a match
  22. roll — a cake
  23. sharp — clever
  24. prune — to trim

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