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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 · racket · bowl · chip · roll · spring · track · can

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. spring — of water
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. track — a path
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. track — a song
  10. chip — for betting
  11. roll — a cake
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. spring — the season
  14. track — to keep track
  15. can — a tin
  16. spring — a coil
  17. chip — to eat
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. can — a tin
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. can — to be able to
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. racket — a loud noise

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