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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 · fork · rush · band · chip · ball · race

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  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. ball — a round shape
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. band — a ring
  5. rush — hurry
  6. race — humankind
  7. chip — to eat
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. fork — in a road
  10. ball — a great time
  11. race — a contest
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. ball — a dance
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. band — a music group
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. chip — for betting
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. race — the arms race
  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