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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: racket · suit · row · jam · snap · present · bat · plane

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. suit — to fit
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. present — the time now
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. suit — in cards
  10. present — there
  11. suit — clothes
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. present — a gift
  17. row — a line
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. snap — to click
  22. bat — the animal
  23. plane — a tool
  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