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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: net · bay · jam · kick · trunk · can · ball · racket

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. can — a tin
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. net — in sport
  8. can — to be able to
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. net — for catching
  12. can — a tin
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. ball — a great time
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. net — after costs
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. ball — a dance
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. kick — in football

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