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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: ball · row · bore · racket · tube · root · fan · trunk

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. root — of a plant
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. bore — to drill
  6. bore — to tire
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. root — the cause
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. row — a line
  12. root — of a word
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. ball — a dance
  16. tube — a container
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. tube — the underground
  19. ball — a great time
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. row — to paddle
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. racket — a loud noise

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