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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. suit — in cards
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. prune — to trim
  8. suit — clothes
  9. can — a tin
  10. prune — to trim
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — to be able to
  13. root — the cause
  14. chair — a leader
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. root — of a plant
  17. root — of a word
  18. kid — child
  19. suit — to fit
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. kid — to tease

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