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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: racket · leaves · spell · swing · foot · content · prune · wake

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. prune — to trim
  3. prune — to trim
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. wake — a trail
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. swing — to play on
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. spell — a short time
  16. swing — music
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. spell — magic
  19. content — the amount
  20. spell — letters
  21. foot — a measure
  22. content — happy
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. swing — in golf

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