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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: mark · racket · nail · jam · ground · lash · perch · mate

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. mark — a grade
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. perch — the fish
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. mate — a friend
  9. mate — to breed
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. ground — a position
  13. mate — a partner
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. mark — a trace
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. ground — the earth
  23. ground — crushed
  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