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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: ball · chip · net · cabinet · pit · fork · fan · wind

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. fork — in a road
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. net — for catching
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. wind — moving air
  13. chip — for betting
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. net — after costs
  16. wind — moving air
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. chip — to eat
  19. ball — a dance
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. ball — a great time
  22. pit — in a race
  23. pit — a hole
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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