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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: club · nail · chip · cabinet · racket · pit · rash · tube

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  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. racket — a loud noise
  2. club — a group
  3. pit — a hole
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. club — for dancing
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. chip — for betting
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. pit — in a race
  14. tube — the underground
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. tube — a container
  18. rash — a series
  19. rash — hasty
  20. chip — to eat
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. club — for golf
  23. cabinet — ministers
  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