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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 · wound · can · fan · wave · racket · pitcher · bound

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bound — certain
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. bound — tied together
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wound — an injury
  12. bound — obliged
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. can — a tin
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. can — a tin
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. can — to be able to
  24. trunk — of a car

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