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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: bank · chest · net · pit · pass · season · row · mark

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. bank — for money
  3. season — in sport
  4. mark — a trace
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. net — after costs
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. chest — a box
  9. bank — for money
  10. season — of the year
  11. pit — a hole
  12. pit — in a race
  13. chest — of your body
  14. net — for catching
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. bank — of a river
  17. pass — a permit
  18. net — in sport
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. row — a line
  21. chest — of your body
  22. row — to paddle
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. mark — to pay attention

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