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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: ground · chip · foot · pit · fine · date · season · pass

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. date — the fruit
  7. fine — all right
  8. ground — the earth
  9. chip — to eat
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. fine — high quality
  12. ground — a position
  13. pit — a hole
  14. season — of the year
  15. ground — crushed
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. pit — in a race
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. pass — a permit
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. chip — for betting
  23. foot — a measure
  24. season — in sport

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