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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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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 · craft · band · safe · wave · prune · swing · pit

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. prune — to trim
  3. band — a ring
  4. net — for catching
  5. craft — a skill
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. prune — to trim
  13. swing — to play on
  14. pit — a hole
  15. net — after costs
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. craft — boats
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. band — a music group
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. swing — in golf
  23. pit — in a race
  24. swing — music

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