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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: jam · bass · bat · spell · lash · rush · track · fork

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. rush — hurry
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. track — a path
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. track — a song
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. spell — magic
  12. fork — in a road
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. bass — the fish
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. track — to keep track
  18. bat — the animal
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. spell — a short time
  22. bass — low music
  23. spell — letters
  24. lash — an eyelash

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