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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: snap · mark · board · bowl · pass · pit · sharp · leaves

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. board — to get on
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. sharp — clever
  9. pit — in a race
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. board — a committee
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. mark — a trace
  17. pit — a hole
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. snap — to click
  21. pass — a permit
  22. mark — a grade
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. pass — to succeed

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