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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: net · bank · date · season · clip · prune · bulb · suit

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. season — of the year
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. clip — for paper
  5. prune — to trim
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. net — for catching
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. net — in sport
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bank — of a river
  12. bank — for money
  13. date — the fruit
  14. suit — to fit
  15. prune — to trim
  16. suit — clothes
  17. bulb — for light
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. bank — for money
  20. season — in sport
  21. clip — a video
  22. clip — to cut
  23. suit — in cards
  24. date — on the calendar

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