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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 · toast · capital

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. capital — a city
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. row — to paddle
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. fine — high quality
  8. stem — to come from
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. game — wild animals
  11. game — a match
  12. pit — a hole
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. toast — bread
  15. pass — a permit
  16. pit — in a race
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. capital — money
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. row — a line
  23. fine — all right
  24. stem — of a plant

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