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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: bat · mark · racket · root · rush · craft · bore · trunk

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  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. bat — the animal
  2. bore — to tire
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. root — the cause
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. root — of a word
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. mark — a grade
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. rush — hurry
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. craft — boats
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. root — of a plant
  21. mark — a trace
  22. craft — a skill
  23. bore — to drill
  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