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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: season · lash · net · mine · rule · ruler · pit · bat

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. mine — for digging
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. rule — government
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. net — in sport
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. season — in sport
  14. season — of the year
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. rule — a law
  18. net — for catching
  19. pit — a hole
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. bat — the animal
  23. net — after costs
  24. pit — in a race

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