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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 120 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: straw · racket · track · bay · lash · hand · club · net

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. hand — help
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. track — a song
  7. track — a path
  8. net — for catching
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. club — a group
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. net — in sport
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. track — to keep track
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. club — for dancing
  20. net — after costs
  21. club — for golf
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. hand — in cards

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