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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 · shower · coach · jam · fork · net · lean · staff

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. lean — to bend
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. net — in sport
  8. net — after costs
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. staff — a stick
  14. shower — to wash
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. staff — employees
  17. fork — in a road
  18. shower — rain
  19. staff — employees
  20. net — for catching
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. lean — thin

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