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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: jam · racket · trunk · board · rush · content · spell · prune

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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. trunk — of a car
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. content — happy
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. spell — a short time
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. board — to get on
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. board — a committee
  15. rush — hurry
  16. content — the amount
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. prune — to trim
  20. prune — to trim
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. spell — magic
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. spell — letters

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