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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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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 · rule · mate · bank · kick · bore · capital

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. kick — in football
  3. bank — for money
  4. net — for catching
  5. net — in sport
  6. bank — for money
  7. rule — a law
  8. pit — a hole
  9. mate — a friend
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. mate — to breed
  12. bore — to drill
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. rule — government
  16. mate — a partner
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. capital — money
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. capital — a city
  21. bore — to tire
  22. bank — of a river
  23. pit — in a race
  24. capital — a big letter

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