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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: leaves · net · pass · date · stand · drill · kid · craft

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. stand — to bear
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. drill — the tool
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. kid — child
  9. craft — boats
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. net — for catching
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. kid — to tease
  14. drill — army training
  15. date — the fruit
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. craft — a skill
  18. net — after costs
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. net — in sport
  22. drill — a practice
  23. pass — a permit
  24. craft — a handicraft

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