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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: stick · staff · racket · fork · bank · court · lash · swing

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. bank — of a river
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. bank — for money
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. staff — employees
  8. staff — employees
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. staff — a stick
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. swing — in golf
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. swing — to play on
  16. court — of a king
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. court — for sport
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. swing — music
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. fork — in a road
  23. court — of law
  24. bank — for money

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