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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 120 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: present · racket · pitcher · court · lean · trunk · season · can

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. can — to be able to
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. court — of law
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. lean — thin
  9. present — there
  10. present — the time now
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. lean — to bend
  13. court — for sport
  14. court — of a king
  15. season — in sport
  16. can — a tin
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. present — a gift
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. season — of the year
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. racket — for tennis

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