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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: saw · racket · face · spring · object · jam · row · ground

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. ground — crushed
  4. row — to paddle
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. ground — a position
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. object — a thing
  9. object — an aim
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. spring — of water
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. spring — the season
  14. face — to confront
  15. object — to protest
  16. ground — the earth
  17. row — a line
  18. spring — a coil
  19. face — part of the head
  20. face — to point toward
  21. saw — the tool
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. saw — the tool
  24. racket — for tennis

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