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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: pass · fork · mate · kid · mine · mark · pit · season

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. pit — in a race
  3. pass — a permit
  4. kid — child
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. season — of the year
  7. kid — to tease
  8. season — in sport
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. mate — a partner
  13. fork — in a road
  14. pit — a hole
  15. mine — for digging
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. mark — a trace
  19. mate — a friend
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. mate — to breed
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. mark — a grade

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