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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: pass · foot · fork · ground · stand · pit · net · saw

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. ground — the earth
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. stand — to bear
  6. pit — in a race
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. saw — the tool
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. saw — the tool
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. net — for catching
  13. pit — a hole
  14. ground — a position
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. net — in sport
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. ground — crushed
  20. foot — a measure
  21. pass — a permit
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. fork — in a road
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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