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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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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 · mate · net · pit · ball · chip · bowl · fork

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. chip — to eat
  4. mate — a friend
  5. pit — in a race
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. chip — for betting
  9. ball — a great time
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. mate — a partner
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. fork — in a road
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. mate — to breed
  18. net — after costs
  19. pit — a hole
  20. net — in sport
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. ball — a dance
  23. net — for catching
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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