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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: net · bore · mate · rash · season · prune · pit · fine

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. net — after costs
  4. bore — to drill
  5. season — of the year
  6. mate — to breed
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. bore — to tire
  9. season — in sport
  10. prune — to trim
  11. rash — a series
  12. fine — all right
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. mate — a partner
  15. mate — a friend
  16. pit — in a race
  17. rash — hasty
  18. net — in sport
  19. pit — a hole
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. prune — to trim
  23. fine — high quality
  24. prune — the fruit

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