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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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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: root · trunk · chest · saw · club · can · court · rest

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. club — for dancing
  3. rest — a break
  4. club — a group
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. root — of a plant
  7. root — the cause
  8. club — for golf
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. chest — a box
  11. saw — the tool
  12. can — a tin
  13. court — of a king
  14. court — of law
  15. can — to be able to
  16. court — for sport
  17. chest — of your body
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rest — what's left
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. chest — of your body
  22. root — of a word
  23. saw — the tool
  24. can — a tin

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