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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.

Make a worksheet

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: mug · track · season · pit · stand · net

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. track — to keep track
  3. mug — a face
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. stand — to bear
  8. pit — in a race
  9. mug — a cup
  10. net — for catching
  11. track — a path
  12. season — in sport
  13. season — of the year
  14. pit — a hole
  15. track — a song
  16. mug — to rob
  17. net — in sport
  18. net — after costs

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