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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
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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: trunk · key · racket · cue · foot · jam · bat · spell

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. key — the most important part
  5. key — in music
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. cue — a signal
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. spell — a short time
  13. key — for a lock
  14. foot — a measure
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. spell — magic
  17. bat — the animal
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. cue — a hint
  20. cue — for pool
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. bat — in an idiom

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