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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: net · fall · prune · cap · kick · pit · ruler · bank

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. pit — a hole
  3. cap — a lid
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. bank — for money
  7. fall — to drop
  8. bank — for money
  9. prune — to trim
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. net — after costs
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. pit — in a race
  14. fall — the season
  15. cap — of ice
  16. bank — of a river
  17. cap — a hat
  18. kick — in football
  19. fall — to drop
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. net — in sport
  24. prune — to trim

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