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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: prune · racket · lash · staff · arm · pitcher · wake · stick

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. staff — a stick
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. wake — a trail
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. staff — employees
  17. prune — to trim
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. prune — to trim
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. staff — employees

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