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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: roll · pit · mine · hand · fine · jam · racket · suit

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. pit — a hole
  4. fine — all right
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. hand — in cards
  8. hand — help
  9. suit — in cards
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. suit — clothes
  14. suit — to fit
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. mine — for digging
  20. fine — high quality
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. pit — in a race
  23. roll — a cake
  24. mine — an explosive

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