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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: file · lie · net · mine · prune · current · pit · coach

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. mine — for digging
  4. current — happening now
  5. file — a line of people
  6. prune — to trim
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. lie — to recline
  10. net — in sport
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. net — after costs
  13. current — electric
  14. pit — in a race
  15. pit — a hole
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. file — a document
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. current — of water
  22. net — for catching
  23. prune — to trim
  24. file — a tool

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