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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: net · chip · clip · stem · craft · pit · pass · date

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. net — for catching
  4. pit — a hole
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. clip — to cut
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. chip — to eat
  9. chip — for betting
  10. stem — to come from
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. craft — boats
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. net — in sport
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. craft — a skill
  17. net — after costs
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. clip — a video
  20. pit — in a race
  21. pass — a permit
  22. clip — for paper
  23. date — the fruit
  24. stem — a stem cell

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