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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.

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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: calf · racket · fan · mark · fall · pit · mine · bay

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. pit — a hole
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. mine — for digging
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fall — to drop
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. pit — in a race
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. mark — a trace
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. fall — the season

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