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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: roll · bark · object · net · rule · wind · foot · prune

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. prune — to trim
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. roll — a list
  5. rule — government
  6. bark — to shout
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. net — in sport
  9. wind — moving air
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. wind — moving air
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. object — to protest
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. roll — a cake
  17. net — after costs
  18. object — an aim
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. rule — a law
  22. prune — to trim
  23. object — a thing
  24. foot — a measure

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