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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 · object · cap · pit · wax · board · straw

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. object — a thing
  4. cap — a lid
  5. cap — of ice
  6. pit — a hole
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. wax — to grow
  12. board — to get on
  13. object — an aim
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. pit — in a race
  17. cap — a hat
  18. bat — the animal
  19. object — to protest
  20. board — a committee
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. bat — in an idiom

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