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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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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 · racket · pitch · face · arm · lean · rash · tear

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. rash — a series
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. face — part of the head
  6. rash — hasty
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. tear — from crying
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. face — to confront
  12. lean — thin
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. face — to point toward
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. lean — to bend
  18. tear — to rip
  19. tear — from crying
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. pitch — completely

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