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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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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: racket · craft · mate · dip · pit · chip · leaves · last

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. pit — in a race
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. mate — a partner
  6. last — final
  7. chip — for betting
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. mate — to breed
  13. craft — a skill
  14. dip — to sink
  15. chip — to eat
  16. craft — boats
  17. last — finally
  18. mate — a friend
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. pit — a hole
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. last — to go on

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