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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. bank — for money
  3. bear — the animal
  4. net — in sport
  5. bank — of a river
  6. degree — an amount
  7. pit — in a race
  8. kick — in football
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. prune — to trim
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. bear — the animal
  14. net — for catching
  15. bore — to drill
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. pit — a hole
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. bore — to tire
  20. prune — to trim
  21. bank — for money
  22. degree — temperature
  23. degree — from a university
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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