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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 · calf · pit · firm · pass · date · mine · rush

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. rush — hurry
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. date — the fruit
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. pit — a hole
  14. net — for catching
  15. pit — in a race
  16. firm — decided
  17. net — after costs
  18. net — in sport
  19. firm — a company
  20. firm — steady
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. mine — for digging
  24. mine — an explosive

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