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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: stem · bank · chair · racket · trunk · jam · bark · squash

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. stem — to come from
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. chair — a leader
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. squash — to crush
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. bank — for money
  15. bank — for money
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. squash — the sport
  19. bark — to shout
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. stem — of a plant

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