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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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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 · current · cabinet · net · bank · firm · roll · rule

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. current — of water
  3. firm — decided
  4. bank — for money
  5. net — in sport
  6. bank — for money
  7. firm — steady
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. roll — a cake
  10. bank — of a river
  11. roll — a list
  12. prune — to trim
  13. rule — a law
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. rule — government
  18. net — after costs
  19. prune — to trim
  20. net — for catching
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. firm — a company
  24. current — electric

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