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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: pit · row · pass · fine · game · stem

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. stem — to come from
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. pass — a permit
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. row — a line
  10. pit — a hole
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. fine — high quality
  13. pit — in a race
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. fine — all right
  16. row — to paddle
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. game — a match

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