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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: suit · current · net · sharp · rock · prune · pound · bark

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. sharp — clever
  4. net — after costs
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. bark — to shout
  10. net — for catching
  11. current — of water
  12. prune — to trim
  13. rock — music
  14. suit — in cards
  15. suit — to fit
  16. net — in sport
  17. current — happening now
  18. current — electric
  19. rock — a stone
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. suit — clothes
  22. pound — a weight
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. prune — to trim

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