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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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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: wake · ground · rush · racket · key · trunk · present · fine

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. key — in music
  5. fine — all right
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. key — for a lock
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. ground — the earth
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. present — a gift
  14. present — there
  15. ground — a position
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. rush — hurry
  20. ground — crushed
  21. wake — a trail
  22. present — the time now
  23. fine — high quality
  24. key — the most important part

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