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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.

Words on the sheet
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: object · trunk · fan · rash · cue · racket · pitcher · land

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. cue — a signal
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. land — ground
  8. land — to come down
  9. rash — a series
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. cue — for pool
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. cue — a hint
  14. object — an aim
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. object — to protest
  17. object — a thing
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. land — a country
  21. rash — hasty
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. pitcher — a jug

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