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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: fine · patient · racket · trunk · band · wave · spell · root

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. spell — magic
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. band — a ring
  11. root — of a word
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. spell — letters
  16. fine — all right
  17. fine — high quality
  18. root — of a plant
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. spell — a short time
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. root — the cause

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