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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: temple · court · row · lash · hide · racket · pitcher · fork

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. court — of law
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. fork — in a road
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. row — to paddle
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. row — a line
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. court — for sport
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. court — of a king
  24. lash — to lash out

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