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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: racket · bat · cue · craft · fine · foot · pit · straw

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. fine — all right
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. cue — a signal
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. cue — a hint
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. pit — a hole
  11. craft — boats
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. pit — in a race
  15. cue — for pool
  16. foot — a measure
  17. craft — a skill
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. fine — high quality
  24. bat — the animal

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