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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: jam · racket · fork · club · wind · hide

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. club — for dancing
  3. club — a group
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. fork — in a road
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. wind — moving air
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. wind — moving air
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. club — for golf
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. racket — for tennis

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