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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: bound · jam · charge · last · bear · prune · row · net

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. prune — to trim
  3. net — for catching
  4. charge — a price
  5. bound — tied together
  6. row — to paddle
  7. charge — in control
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. last — final
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. net — in sport
  12. net — after costs
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. last — finally
  16. last — to go on
  17. bound — obliged
  18. bound — certain
  19. row — a line
  20. prune — to trim
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. bear — the animal
  23. charge — electricity
  24. bear — to put up with

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