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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: racket · chest · firm · fall · fan · trunk · net · toast

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. chest — of your body
  6. firm — a company
  7. net — after costs
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. fall — to drop
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. fall — to drop
  14. chest — of your body
  15. firm — decided
  16. fall — the season
  17. net — in sport
  18. net — for catching
  19. chest — a box
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. firm — steady
  24. toast — bread

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