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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: racket · trunk · root · court · plane · can · jam · game

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. game — a match
  4. root — of a word
  5. can — to be able to
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. root — the cause
  8. plane — a tool
  9. root — of a plant
  10. game — wild animals
  11. court — for sport
  12. court — of a king
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. court — of law
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. can — a tin
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. can — a tin

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