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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pit · kid · craft · cue · bank · racket

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. kid — child
  5. cue — a signal
  6. bank — for money
  7. craft — boats
  8. kid — to tease
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. pit — in a race
  11. cue — for pool
  12. pit — a hole
  13. bank — of a river
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. bank — for money
  17. craft — a skill
  18. cue — a hint

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