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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: jam · game · root · trunk · stand · spring · racket · pound

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. root — of a word
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. spring — the season
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. pound — a weight
  12. game — wild animals
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. stand — to bear
  18. spring — of water
  19. spring — a coil
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. root — of a plant
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. game — a match
  24. trunk — of a car

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