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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: wake · pass · mark · spell · pit · date · net · wave

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. spell — letters
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. net — after costs
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. mark — a grade
  10. spell — magic
  11. mark — a trace
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. wake — a trail
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. net — for catching
  17. pit — in a race
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. spell — a short time
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. pass — a permit
  22. pit — a hole
  23. date — the fruit
  24. net — in sport

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