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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: fan · bank · rash · track · pit · hand · racket · chair

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. chair — a leader
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. pit — a hole
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. track — to keep track
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. pit — in a race
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. rash — a series
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. bank — of a river
  18. track — a path
  19. hand — help
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. hand — in cards
  22. bank — for money
  23. track — a song
  24. rash — hasty

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