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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: can · trunk · lie · foot · pound · racket · club · dip

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. pound — a weight
  3. club — for golf
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. lie — to recline
  6. dip — to sink
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. club — for dancing
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. club — a group
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. can — a tin
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. can — to be able to
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. can — a tin
  24. foot — a measure

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