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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. can — a tin
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. can — to be able to
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. can — a tin
  9. prune — to trim
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. stock — shares
  13. march — the month
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. prune — to trim
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. march — the month
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. stock — goods
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. march — music
  24. coach — a trainer

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