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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: pit · row · racket · deal · wax · fan · jam · track

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. pit — a hole
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. deal — to handle
  7. track — to keep track
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. row — to paddle
  10. pit — in a race
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. track — a path
  14. row — a line
  15. wax — to grow
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. track — a song

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