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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: pit · kick · rash · fine · net · wound · wake · fork

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. wound — an injury
  3. rash — a series
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. kick — in football
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. wake — a trail
  9. fork — in a road
  10. pit — a hole
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. fine — high quality
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. pit — in a race
  18. fine — all right
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. net — after costs
  21. wound — an injury
  22. rash — hasty
  23. net — in sport
  24. net — for catching

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