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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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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 · wake · net · squash · kick · stick · pass · clip

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. net — in sport
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. squash — to crush
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. pit — in a race
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. clip — to cut
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. squash — the sport
  14. clip — a video
  15. kick — in football
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. pass — a permit
  18. clip — for paper
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. pit — a hole
  22. net — for catching
  23. wake — a trail
  24. squash — the vegetable

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