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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: trunk · bat · racket · bank · bay · rash · wound · root

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. root — of a plant
  4. bat — the animal
  5. bank — for money
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. rash — a series
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. bank — of a river
  14. wound — an injury
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. root — of a word
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. root — the cause
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. bank — for money
  22. rash — hasty
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. racket — a loud noise

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