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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: racket · pit · mate · date · hand · nail · jam · fork

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. mate — to breed
  3. hand — in cards
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. date — the fruit
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. fork — in a road
  9. mate — a partner
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. pit — in a race
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. mate — a friend
  21. pit — a hole
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. nail — for a hammer
  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