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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 120 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 · suit · pit · chair · rock · bat · clip · bowl

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. suit — clothes
  4. rock — a stone
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. chair — a leader
  7. suit — to fit
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. bat — the animal
  13. clip — a video
  14. rock — music
  15. clip — to cut
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. clip — for paper
  19. pit — in a race
  20. pit — a hole
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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