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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. bat — the animal
  4. game — a match
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. pit — a hole
  7. fine — all right
  8. bank — of a river
  9. pit — in a race
  10. net — after costs
  11. bank — for money
  12. bank — for money
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. net — for catching
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. net — in sport
  19. game — wild animals
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. fine — high quality
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. game — a kind of play

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