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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 116 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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468
Word bank
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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cue — for pool
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. mine — for digging
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. wound — an injury
  15. saw — the tool
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. wound — an injury
  18. pit — in a race
  19. cue — a hint
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. cue — a signal
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. saw — the tool

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