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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: mine · net · date · pit · bore · racket · fall · cabinet

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  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. pit — in a race
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. net — after costs
  4. bore — to drill
  5. date — the fruit
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. bore — to tire
  8. mine — for digging
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. pit — a hole
  12. net — for catching
  13. net — in sport
  14. fall — the season
  15. fall — to drop
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. fall — to drop
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. racket — a loud noise
  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