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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 116 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: prune · net · key · bank · fall · firm · perch · present

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. bank — of a river
  4. net — for catching
  5. present — the time now
  6. firm — decided
  7. prune — to trim
  8. present — a gift
  9. fall — to drop
  10. fall — the season
  11. bank — for money
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. key — in music
  14. fall — to drop
  15. net — in sport
  16. net — after costs
  17. key — the most important part
  18. present — there
  19. prune — to trim
  20. bank — for money
  21. firm — a company
  22. perch — the fish
  23. key — for a lock
  24. perch — for a bird

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