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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.

Words on the sheet
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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. club — for golf
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. club — a group
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. pit — a hole
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. pit — in a race
  14. dip — to sink
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. cell — a phone
  20. kick — in football
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. cell — in biology
  24. club — for dancing

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