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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.

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
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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: can · pit · date · hand · cue · mouse · net · wind

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. hand — help
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. cue — a hint
  6. net — in sport
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. can — to be able to
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. can — a tin
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. cue — for pool
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. net — for catching
  17. pit — a hole
  18. net — after costs
  19. cue — a signal
  20. wind — moving air
  21. hand — in cards
  22. wind — moving air
  23. date — the fruit
  24. can — a tin

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