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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: cabinet · saw · fan · pitcher · leaves · pit · squash · hand

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. pit — a hole
  7. saw — the tool
  8. hand — in cards
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. pit — in a race
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. saw — the tool
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. squash — to crush
  18. squash — the sport
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. hand — help
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. pitcher — a jug

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