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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 120 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: racket · fork · bass · arm · stand · bore · wind · chest

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. chest — a box
  4. stand — to bear
  5. bass — low music
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. chest — of your body
  9. fork — in a road
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. bore — to tire
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. wind — moving air
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. chest — of your body
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. bass — the fish
  21. bore — to drill
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. arm — part of the body

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