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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: game · track · lash · kid · jam · pit · object · arm

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. pit — in a race
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. object — to protest
  5. track — to keep track
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. kid — child
  8. kid — to tease
  9. object — an aim
  10. game — wild animals
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. pit — a hole
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. object — a thing
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. track — a path
  20. game — a match
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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