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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 · racket · game · bark · foot · sharp · jam · calf

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. game — a match
  6. bark — to shout
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. game — wild animals
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. sharp — clever
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. foot — a measure
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. sharp — exactly
  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