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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.

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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: prune · net · charge · track · mate · fine · saw · hand

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. hand — in cards
  3. hand — help
  4. mate — a friend
  5. net — after costs
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. net — for catching
  8. fine — high quality
  9. prune — to trim
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. track — to keep track
  12. track — a path
  13. charge — in control
  14. mate — a partner
  15. charge — electricity
  16. saw — the tool
  17. fine — all right
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. charge — a price
  20. saw — the tool
  21. prune — to trim
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. track — a song
  24. mate — to breed

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