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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · safe · charge · fork · rash · content · swing · prune

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. fork — in a road
  3. content — the amount
  4. rash — a series
  5. charge — a price
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. swing — music
  8. prune — to trim
  9. swing — in golf
  10. content — happy
  11. net — for catching
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. prune — to trim
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. net — in sport
  16. swing — to play on
  17. rash — hasty
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. charge — electricity
  20. charge — in control
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. safe — a strongbox

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