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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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: lean · trunk · degree · pit · racket · season · foot · bass

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. season — of the year
  4. foot — a measure
  5. degree — from a university
  6. season — in sport
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. pit — in a race
  9. lean — to bend
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. degree — temperature
  13. degree — an amount
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. pit — a hole
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. bass — the fish
  21. lean — thin
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. bass — low music
  24. foot — part of the body

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