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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: board · kid · stand · pass · spring · clip · pit · snap

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. clip — a video
  5. stand — to bear
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. board — a committee
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. spring — the season
  11. pit — in a race
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. clip — for paper
  14. kid — to tease
  15. spring — a coil
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. kid — child
  18. snap — to click
  19. spring — of water
  20. pit — a hole
  21. board — to get on
  22. clip — to cut
  23. pass — a permit
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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