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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. net — after costs
  3. march — the month
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. cap — of ice
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. stock — goods
  8. march — music
  9. cap — a lid
  10. net — for catching
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. pit — a hole
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. pit — in a race
  18. cap — a hat
  19. march — the month
  20. net — in sport
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. kick — in football
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. stock — shares

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