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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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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 · net · wound · pound · sharp · rush · bore · rash

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. net — in sport
  4. net — after costs
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. rush — hurry
  7. pound — a weight
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. sharp — clever
  11. bore — to tire
  12. net — for catching
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. rash — hasty
  15. rash — a series
  16. wound — an injury
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. bore — to drill
  21. wound — an injury
  22. pit — in a race
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. pit — a hole

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