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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: pit · clip · mouse · kick · cabinet · content · fan · coach

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. clip — for paper
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. content — happy
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. pit — a hole
  10. kick — in football
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. content — the amount
  19. clip — a video
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. clip — to cut
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. coach — a trainer

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