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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: pound · wound · season · safe · bank · saw · pit · prune

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. prune — to trim
  5. prune — to trim
  6. bank — for money
  7. wound — an injury
  8. pit — a hole
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. bank — for money
  11. bank — of a river
  12. wound — an injury
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. season — in sport
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. saw — the tool
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. pit — in a race
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. season — of the year
  24. pound — a weight

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