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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 120 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
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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: wound · pit · fan · saw · club · chair · net · cue

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. net — after costs
  3. club — for golf
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. net — for catching
  6. club — a group
  7. net — in sport
  8. saw — the tool
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. cue — a hint
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. saw — the tool
  14. wound — an injury
  15. chair — a leader
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. cue — a signal
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. pit — a hole
  20. wound — an injury
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. club — for dancing
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. cue — for pool

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