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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: racket · bore · trunk · row · squash · bank · race · jam

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. race — humankind
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. race — a contest
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. bore — to tire
  8. row — to paddle
  9. bank — of a river
  10. bore — to drill
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. bank — for money
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. race — the arms race
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. bank — for money
  21. squash — to crush
  22. row — a line
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. squash — the sport

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