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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
468
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: land · pit · object · scale · bat · fine · pitcher · fan

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. object — to protest
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. pit — in a race
  6. scale — in music
  7. object — an aim
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. land — to come down
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. fine — high quality
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. object — a thing
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. fine — all right
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. scale — size or range
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. land — a country
  22. land — ground
  23. pit — a hole
  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