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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: ball · trunk · prune · root · bound · staff · kick · racket

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. bound — tied together
  6. prune — to trim
  7. staff — employees
  8. ball — a great time
  9. root — of a plant
  10. staff — employees
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. bound — obliged
  15. kick — in football
  16. bound — certain
  17. root — the cause
  18. staff — a stick
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. root — of a word
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. ball — a dance

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