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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 116 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: cabinet · stand · mate · pit · wind · net · bulb · stick

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. pit — a hole
  3. mate — a partner
  4. wind — moving air
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. net — in sport
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. mate — to breed
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. net — after costs
  15. bulb — for light
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. net — for catching
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. mate — a friend
  20. pit — in a race
  21. wind — moving air
  22. bulb — for light
  23. stand — to bear
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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