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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: snap · bulb · track · kick · ground · pass · stand · net

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. net — after costs
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. ground — the earth
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. kick — in football
  7. ground — a position
  8. bulb — for light
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. snap — to click
  11. pass — a permit
  12. track — to keep track
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. bulb — for light
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. net — for catching
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. track — a song
  22. ground — crushed
  23. net — in sport
  24. track — a path

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