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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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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 · rest · trunk · spring · bank · bay · last · club

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. rest — what's left
  3. club — a group
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. last — to go on
  6. bank — for money
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. club — for golf
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. rest — what's left
  11. last — finally
  12. last — final
  13. club — for dancing
  14. spring — a coil
  15. spring — of water
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. bank — of a river
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. bank — for money
  22. spring — the season
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. racket — for tennis

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