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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 120 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: suit · mine · stick · season · pit · net · straw · bank

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. net — in sport
  4. net — after costs
  5. bank — of a river
  6. suit — in cards
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. suit — to fit
  9. net — for catching
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. suit — clothes
  14. mine — for digging
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. pit — a hole
  17. pit — in a race
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. season — of the year
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. bank — for money
  23. bank — for money
  24. season — to add flavour

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