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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 120 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: net · pit · game · cabinet · staff · bay · arm · racket

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. pit — in a race
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. pit — a hole
  5. game — wild animals
  6. game — a match
  7. net — after costs
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. staff — employees
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. net — for catching
  20. net — in sport
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. staff — a stick
  24. arm — part of the body

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