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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: stem · chip · saw · pass · net · current · pit · last

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. net — for catching
  3. current — electric
  4. current — happening now
  5. net — after costs
  6. pit — in a race
  7. last — finally
  8. last — to go on
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. pass — a permit
  13. current — of water
  14. chip — to eat
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. saw — the tool
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. stem — to come from
  21. last — final
  22. saw — the tool
  23. chip — for betting
  24. pit — a hole

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