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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: squash · mouse · net · prune · snap · bound · ball · stem

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. squash — to crush
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. snap — to click
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. net — in sport
  10. ball — a great time
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. prune — to trim
  13. prune — to trim
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. ball — a dance
  16. bound — obliged
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. bound — tied together
  19. bound — certain
  20. net — for catching
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. stem — to come from
  24. squash — the sport

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