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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: racket · chest · bass · craft · foot · jam · object · row

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. foot — a measure
  3. row — to paddle
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. bass — low music
  7. row — a line
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. object — an aim
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. object — to protest
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. chest — of your body
  15. chest — of your body
  16. bass — the fish
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. object — a thing
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. craft — boats
  23. chest — a box
  24. racket — a loud noise

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