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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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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: saw · pit · chip · racket · stock · bat · pass · arm

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. pit — in a race
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. saw — the tool
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. stock — goods
  11. pass — a permit
  12. pit — a hole
  13. stock — shares
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. chip — for betting
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. saw — the tool
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. chip — to eat
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. bat — the animal
  24. bat — for baseball

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