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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. club — for golf
  8. bank — of a river
  9. club — a group
  10. club — for dancing
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. spell — magic
  14. bank — for money
  15. spell — letters
  16. bank — for money
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. bat — the animal
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. snap — to click
  23. spell — a short time
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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