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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.

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: net · pop · arm · prune · face · mouse · bay · racket

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. prune — to trim
  3. pop — music
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. net — for catching
  8. face — to confront
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. face — part of the head
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. net — in sport
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. prune — to trim
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. pop — soda
  19. pop — to visit
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. net — after costs
  22. face — to point toward
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. arm — part of the body

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