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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.

Make a worksheet

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 · mate · foot · cabinet · hand · fan · racket · dip

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  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. fan — a supporter
  2. mate — a partner
  3. pit — in a race
  4. hand — in cards
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. dip — to sink
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. hand — help
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. mate — to breed
  20. foot — a measure
  21. pit — a hole
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. mate — a friend
  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