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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: fork · pit · land · lash · current · pitcher · swing · racket

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. swing — music
  3. swing — to play on
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. pit — in a race
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. pit — a hole
  10. current — of water
  11. swing — in golf
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. fork — in a road
  14. land — to come down
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. land — ground
  18. current — happening now
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. land — a country
  24. current — electric

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