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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: squash · root · pitcher · net · spell · trunk · drill · saw

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. drill — the tool
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. saw — the tool
  7. root — the cause
  8. spell — letters
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. spell — magic
  11. net — in sport
  12. net — after costs
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. root — of a word
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. squash — the sport
  17. root — of a plant
  18. saw — the tool
  19. net — for catching
  20. squash — to crush
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. drill — a practice
  23. drill — army training
  24. spell — a short time

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