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

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. root — the cause
  4. tear — from crying
  5. tear — to rip
  6. root — of a plant
  7. bass — low music
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. pop — music
  10. craft — boats
  11. pop — soda
  12. tear — from crying
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. bass — the fish
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. craft — a skill
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. root — of a word
  22. pop — to visit
  23. bark — to shout
  24. trunk — of a car

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