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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: pop · drill · nail · pound · charge · net · prune · jam

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. prune — to trim
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. pop — to visit
  6. net — in sport
  7. drill — a practice
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. drill — the tool
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. charge — electricity
  13. charge — in control
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. pound — a weight
  17. charge — a price
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. prune — to trim
  20. drill — army training
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. pop — music
  23. net — for catching
  24. pop — soda

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