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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 116 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: tube · racket · mouse · bank · rest · trunk · root · court

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. root — of a word
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. rest — what's left
  6. bank — of a river
  7. root — of a plant
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. tube — a container
  12. tube — the underground
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. rest — a break
  16. bank — for money
  17. court — of a king
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. court — for sport
  20. root — the cause
  21. court — of law
  22. rest — what's left
  23. bank — for money
  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