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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: present · racket · staff · last · trunk · bass · squash · foot

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. last — final
  4. bass — the fish
  5. squash — the sport
  6. present — the time now
  7. last — finally
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. staff — employees
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. present — a gift
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. foot — a measure
  19. bass — low music
  20. squash — to crush
  21. staff — employees
  22. present — there
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. last — to go on

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