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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: current · pit · trunk · prune · saw · net · cabinet · ball

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. prune — to trim
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. current — electric
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. net — after costs
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. ball — a dance
  11. net — for catching
  12. pit — in a race
  13. current — happening now
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. ball — a great time
  17. current — of water
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. saw — the tool
  21. pit — a hole
  22. saw — the tool
  23. prune — to trim
  24. trunk — of a car

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