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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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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: trunk · field · bank · pound · lean · mug · racket · staff

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. lean — to bend
  3. bank — of a river
  4. staff — employees
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. mug — to rob
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. field — farmland
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. mug — a face
  16. mug — a cup
  17. staff — employees
  18. pound — a weight
  19. field — for sport
  20. bank — for money
  21. lean — thin
  22. staff — a stick
  23. bank — for money
  24. field — a subject

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