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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: jam · prune · pitcher · present · stand · bowl · pass · net

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. prune — to trim
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. present — there
  8. net — for catching
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. pass — a permit
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. stand — to bear
  15. prune — to trim
  16. present — the time now
  17. net — after costs
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. net — in sport
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. present — a gift
  24. jam — a tight spot

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