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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: stick · fan · racket · saw · rush · pitch · fine · roll

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. pitch — completely
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. rush — hurry
  12. saw — the tool
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. roll — a list
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. roll — a cake
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. fine — all right
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. fine — high quality

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