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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pass · date · fine · pit · content · spell · stand · clip

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. stand — to bear
  3. pit — a hole
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. fine — all right
  7. clip — a video
  8. spell — a short time
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. spell — magic
  12. pass — a permit
  13. clip — to cut
  14. fine — high quality
  15. spell — letters
  16. date — the fruit
  17. pit — in a race
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. content — the amount
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. content — happy
  24. clip — for paper

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