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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: squash · bank · object · drill · fan · net · craft · prune

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. net — in sport
  3. drill — a practice
  4. object — a thing
  5. squash — to crush
  6. prune — to trim
  7. craft — boats
  8. net — after costs
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. bank — for money
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. object — to protest
  13. net — for catching
  14. drill — army training
  15. bank — for money
  16. prune — to trim
  17. bank — of a river
  18. squash — the sport
  19. drill — the tool
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. object — an aim
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. fan — a supporter

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