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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 116 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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. pop — music
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. bass — the fish
  7. chair — a leader
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. prune — to trim
  10. bank — for money
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. lean — thin
  14. pop — soda
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. bank — for money
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. bank — of a river
  20. lean — to bend
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. prune — to trim
  23. pop — to visit
  24. bass — low music

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