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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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. band — a ring
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. track — a song
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. spring — the season
  14. spring — of water
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. stand — to bear
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. track — a path
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. track — to keep track
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. spring — a coil
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. band — a music group

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