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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: pound · chair · saw · jam · trunk · pitcher · racket · lash

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. pound — a weight
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. saw — the tool
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. chair — a leader
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. saw — the tool

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