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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · chair · game · dip · foot · racket · track · current

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. current — happening now
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. pit — a hole
  7. dip — to sink
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. foot — a measure
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. current — of water
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. pit — in a race
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. current — electric
  17. game — a match
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. chair — a leader
  20. track — a song
  21. track — a path
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. game — wild animals
  24. track — to keep track

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