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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 120 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: rush · bat · cabinet · racket · trunk · band · foot · rock

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. band — a ring
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. bat — the animal
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. band — a music group
  15. foot — a measure
  16. rush — hurry
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. rock — a stone
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. rock — music
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. foot — the bottom

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