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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: patient · saw · bore · net · mate · pit · bank · game

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. mate — to breed
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. game — a match
  6. game — wild animals
  7. mate — a partner
  8. net — for catching
  9. bore — to tire
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. pit — a hole
  12. net — in sport
  13. bore — to drill
  14. bank — of a river
  15. bank — for money
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. bank — for money
  21. saw — the tool
  22. saw — the tool
  23. pit — in a race
  24. mate — a friend

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