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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: tear · ball · pound · staff · trunk · jam

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. staff — a stick
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. staff — employees
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. staff — employees
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. ball — a dance
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. pound — a weight
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. tear — from crying
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. tear — from crying
  16. ball — a great time
  17. tear — to rip
  18. jam — a tight spot

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