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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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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: bank · rule · row · racket · net · field · pit · trunk

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. pit — in a race
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. row — to paddle
  8. net — after costs
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. net — in sport
  11. bank — for money
  12. field — for sport
  13. bank — for money
  14. bank — of a river
  15. row — a line
  16. net — for catching
  17. rule — a law
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. rule — government
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. field — farmland
  23. pit — a hole
  24. racket — for tennis

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