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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 · mark · racket · mug · pit · cabinet · row · roll

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. roll — a cake
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. mark — a trace
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. mug — to rob
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. pit — in a race
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. pit — a hole
  13. row — to paddle
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. row — a line
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. mug — a cup
  19. mug — a face
  20. mark — a grade
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. mark — to pay attention

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