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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: lean · row · racket · jam · scale · bat · pit · mug

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on 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. lean — to rest against
  2. mug — to rob
  3. pit — a hole
  4. row — to paddle
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. bat — the animal
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. mug — a face
  10. pit — in a race
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. row — a line
  16. lean — to bend
  17. lean — thin
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. mug — a cup
  22. scale — in music
  23. scale — size or range
  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