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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: board · net · pass · sharp · fall · date

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. pass — a permit
  3. fall — the season
  4. fall — to drop
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. net — for catching
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. net — after costs
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. board — a committee
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. board — to get on
  15. fall — to drop
  16. net — in sport
  17. date — the fruit
  18. sharp — clever

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