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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: track · net · last · racket · kick · dip · trunk · bass

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. net — after costs
  3. track — a path
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. track — a song
  8. dip — to sink
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. bass — the fish
  17. net — in sport
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. net — for catching
  20. last — final
  21. track — to keep track
  22. bass — low music
  23. kick — in football
  24. last — finally

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