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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: band · present · prune · pass · safe · net · march · pit

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. present — there
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. march — the month
  5. prune — to trim
  6. march — the month
  7. present — a gift
  8. net — after costs
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. march — music
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. present — the time now
  14. pit — a hole
  15. band — a music group
  16. pit — in a race
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. net — for catching
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. pass — a permit
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. band — a ring
  23. prune — to trim
  24. net — 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