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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: ruler · pit · fine · jam · stick · shower · racket · hand

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. hand — help
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. fine — all right
  5. shower — to wash
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. shower — rain
  9. pit — a hole
  10. hand — in cards
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. fine — high quality
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. pit — in a race
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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