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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: prune · mark · scale · capital · net · bound · lash · current

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. prune — to trim
  3. bound — tied together
  4. scale — in music
  5. bound — certain
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. mark — a trace
  9. prune — to trim
  10. current — happening now
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. net — for catching
  13. current — of water
  14. net — after costs
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. capital — a city
  17. scale — size or range
  18. bound — obliged
  19. net — in sport
  20. current — electric
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. capital — money
  23. mark — a grade
  24. lash — an eyelash

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