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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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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: bat · suit · racket · pit · dip · object · game · deal

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. pit — a hole
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. object — to protest
  5. object — a thing
  6. suit — in cards
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. suit — to fit
  9. pit — in a race
  10. suit — clothes
  11. object — an aim
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. bat — the animal
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. dip — to sink
  20. deal — to handle
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. game — wild animals
  24. bat — in an idiom

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