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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 · mark · court · club · bore · net · roll · mine

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. club — a group
  4. club — for dancing
  5. net — in sport
  6. mark — a trace
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. court — of a king
  10. roll — a list
  11. mark — a grade
  12. mine — for digging
  13. pass — a permit
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. club — for golf
  16. court — of law
  17. roll — a cake
  18. net — after costs
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. court — for sport
  21. bore — to drill
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. net — for catching
  24. bore — to tire

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