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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 · fork · club · wind · hide · spring · toast

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. club — for dancing
  4. spring — a coil
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. spring — of water
  8. wind — moving air
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. club — a group
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. spring — the season
  16. wind — moving air
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. fork — in a road
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. toast — bread
  24. fork — to eat with

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