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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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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. net — after costs
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. date — the fruit
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. net — in sport
  10. bore — to tire
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. pit — in a race
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. foot — a measure
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. bore — to drill
  21. pass — a permit
  22. net — for catching
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. date — on the calendar

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