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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: nail · prune · net · tube · bass · bore · bark · present

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. present — a gift
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. bass — the fish
  6. tube — a container
  7. prune — to trim
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. bore — to tire
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. prune — to trim
  15. bass — low music
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. tube — the underground
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. net — after costs
  20. bore — to drill
  21. net — in sport
  22. present — the time now
  23. bark — to shout
  24. present — there

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