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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 120 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: wound · craft · bowl · prune · net · charge · mine · stem

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. charge — electricity
  3. stem — to come from
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wound — an injury
  6. net — for catching
  7. net — after costs
  8. prune — to trim
  9. charge — in control
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. prune — to trim
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. mine — for digging
  17. craft — a skill
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. craft — boats
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. charge — a price
  24. bowl — a dish

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