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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. land — ground
  3. staff — a stick
  4. net — for catching
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. lean — to bend
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. land — to come down
  11. lean — thin
  12. net — in sport
  13. staff — employees
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. net — after costs
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. fork — in a road
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. staff — employees
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. land — a country
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. lean — to rest against

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