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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: fine · band · key · racket · rush · jam · kid · fall

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. kid — to tease
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. fall — to drop
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. key — the most important part
  7. kid — child
  8. fall — the season
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. fine — high quality
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. key — in music
  14. key — for a lock
  15. rush — hurry
  16. fine — all right
  17. fall — to drop
  18. band — a music group
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. band — a ring
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. rush — a thrill

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