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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: tube · bank · trunk · pound · racket · deal · rest · hand

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. rest — a break
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. hand — help
  7. rest — what's left
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. rest — what's left
  13. bank — for money
  14. deal — to handle
  15. hand — in cards
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. bank — for money
  19. tube — a container
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. tube — the underground
  23. bank — of a river
  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