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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: pitcher · trunk · bear · wound · fork · racket · club · rash

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. club — for dancing
  3. bear — the animal
  4. wound — an injury
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. club — a group
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. bear — the animal
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. wound — an injury
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. fork — in a road
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. rash — hasty
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. club — for 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