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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: arm · court · fan · toast · bowl · cabinet · track · pit

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. pit — a hole
  3. track — to keep track
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. track — a path
  7. court — for sport
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. pit — in a race
  11. court — of law
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. toast — bread
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. court — of a king
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. track — a song

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