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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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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: kid · racket · mark · leaves · pitch · jam · bank · foot

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. kid — to tease
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. bank — for money
  11. foot — a measure
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. mark — a grade
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. bank — of a river
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. mark — a trace
  22. pitch — completely
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. kid — child

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