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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: lie · pit · land · racket · sharp · bank · mark · jam

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. pit — in a race
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. land — a country
  7. bank — for money
  8. pit — a hole
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. bank — of a river
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. land — to come down
  15. bank — for money
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. mark — a grade
  18. lie — to recline
  19. mark — a trace
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. land — ground
  24. racket — for tennis

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