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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: wind · racket · staff · stock · jam · pit · bay · trunk

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. staff — employees
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. staff — employees
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. stock — shares
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. staff — a stick
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. stock — goods
  20. pit — in a race
  21. pit — a hole
  22. wind — moving air
  23. wind — moving air
  24. jam — a tight spot

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