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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: ground · date · can · net · snap · stand · leaves · present

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. net — after costs
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. ground — the earth
  7. stand — to bear
  8. can — a tin
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. can — to be able to
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. present — there
  14. ground — crushed
  15. net — for catching
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. snap — to click
  18. can — a tin
  19. net — in sport
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. present — the time now
  22. present — a gift
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. ground — a position

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