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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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468
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: racket · scale · trunk · tear · calf · row · tube · foot

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. row — a line
  4. tube — a container
  5. tear — from crying
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. scale — size or range
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. tear — from crying
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. tube — the underground
  14. scale — in music
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. row — to paddle
  17. foot — a measure
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. tear — to rip

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