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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
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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: hand · plane · date · chip · net · pit · fan · safe

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. chip — for betting
  6. date — the fruit
  7. net — for catching
  8. pit — in a race
  9. net — after costs
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. plane — a tool
  12. hand — help
  13. hand — in cards
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. pit — a hole
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. chip — to eat
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. net — in sport
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fan — to cool the air

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