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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 120 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. fall — the season
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. pit — a hole
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. fall — to drop
  13. bat — the animal
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. pit — in a race
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. fall — to drop
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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