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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · wound · mark · date · suit · clip · fan · pit

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. pit — a hole
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. clip — to cut
  6. suit — in cards
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. clip — a video
  9. mark — a grade
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. suit — clothes
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. wound — an injury
  16. suit — to fit
  17. mark — a trace
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. date — the fruit
  20. wound — an injury
  21. pit — in a race
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. clip — for paper

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