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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 116 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: pass · present · pitch · wake · net · ground · rush · band

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. present — a gift
  3. pitch — completely
  4. ground — a position
  5. ground — crushed
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. band — a ring
  10. net — for catching
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. ground — the earth
  13. present — there
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. pass — a permit
  18. band — a music group
  19. rush — hurry
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. net — in sport
  22. wake — a trail
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. present — the time now

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