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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: pit · cue · net · rash · fork · cap · lash · fall

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. pit — in a race
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. rash — a series
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. fall — the season
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. net — for catching
  9. pit — a hole
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. cap — a lid
  12. cue — a hint
  13. fall — to drop
  14. net — in sport
  15. rash — hasty
  16. cap — a hat
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. cue — a signal
  20. fall — to drop
  21. cap — of ice
  22. net — after costs
  23. fork — in a road
  24. cue — for pool

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