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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. fork — in a road
  9. branch — a division
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. bass — the fish
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. bass — low music
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. chair — a leader
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. foot — a measure
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. fork — to eat with

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