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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. net — for catching
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. staff — employees
  5. staff — a stick
  6. pit — in a race
  7. craft — a skill
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. net — after costs
  12. net — in sport
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. spring — the season
  15. pit — a hole
  16. spring — a coil
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. staff — employees
  19. craft — boats
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. spring — of water
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. deal — to handle
  24. racket — a loud noise

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