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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 · drill · spring · trunk · pop · cue · racket · safe

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  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. trunk — of a car
  2. ball — a dance
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. pop — to visit
  5. pop — soda
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. drill — the tool
  8. cue — a signal
  9. spring — a coil
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. spring — of water
  12. pop — music
  13. drill — a practice
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. drill — army training
  16. ball — a great time
  17. cue — for pool
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. spring — the season
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. cue — a hint
  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