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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: clip · rock · jam · staff · net · wind · row · foot

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. staff — employees
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. foot — a measure
  7. rock — a stone
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. clip — a video
  10. wind — moving air
  11. net — after costs
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. clip — for paper
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. staff — a stick
  16. staff — employees
  17. clip — to cut
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. rock — music
  21. row — to paddle
  22. net — in sport
  23. wind — moving air
  24. row — a line

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