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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: ball · racket · spell · mine · foot · bear · trunk · current

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. spell — letters
  7. foot — a measure
  8. current — of water
  9. current — electric
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. current — happening now
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. spell — magic
  15. spell — a short time
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. ball — a great time
  18. mine — for digging
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. bear — the animal
  22. ball — a dance
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. foot — the bottom

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