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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: clip · bank · net · pound · wound · bowl · ruler · prune

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. net — after costs
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. bank — for money
  10. wound — an injury
  11. bank — for money
  12. clip — for paper
  13. prune — to trim
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. clip — to cut
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. net — for catching
  19. clip — a video
  20. bank — of a river
  21. prune — to trim
  22. net — in sport
  23. wound — an injury
  24. pound — to hit hard

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