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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.

Make a worksheet

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: racket · fan · rash · net · band · cold · press · pit

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. press — newspapers
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. pit — a hole
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. rash — a series
  10. rash — hasty
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. band — a ring
  16. press — to push
  17. cold — not warm
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. net — for catching
  20. band — a music group
  21. pit — in a race
  22. press — a publisher
  23. net — after costs
  24. cold — an illness

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