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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: fan · pit · kick · bound · root · chair · cap · nail

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. cap — of ice
  5. root — of a word
  6. kick — in football
  7. cap — a lid
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. bound — obliged
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. root — of a plant
  13. chair — a leader
  14. bound — tied together
  15. cap — a hat
  16. pit — a hole
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. bound — certain
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. root — the cause
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. pit — in a race

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