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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: mate · hand · band · rush · pit · staff · suit · net

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  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. net — in sport
  2. net — for catching
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. pit — a hole
  5. suit — to fit
  6. suit — in cards
  7. hand — in cards
  8. band — a ring
  9. mate — a partner
  10. mate — a friend
  11. band — a music group
  12. net — after costs
  13. staff — a stick
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. hand — help
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. staff — employees
  19. staff — employees
  20. suit — clothes
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. rush — hurry
  23. mate — to breed
  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