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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 120 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
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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: pit · club · current · stem · net · pass · straw · season

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. current — happening now
  3. club — for golf
  4. net — in sport
  5. pass — a permit
  6. club — for dancing
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. stem — to come from
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. pit — a hole
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. pit — in a race
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. season — in sport
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. current — of water
  18. season — of the year
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. net — for catching
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. current — electric
  24. net — after costs

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