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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: net · prune · track · current · hand · perch · bass · leaves

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. net — in sport
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. bass — the fish
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. net — after costs
  7. bass — low music
  8. track — to keep track
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. current — electric
  11. prune — to trim
  12. track — a song
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. prune — to trim
  15. current — happening now
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. current — of water
  18. track — a path
  19. hand — help
  20. perch — the fish
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. hand — in cards
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. net — for catching

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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