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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.

Words on the sheet
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: trunk · racket · game · prune · scale · bank · bore · stand

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  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. game — a kind of play
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. bank — for money
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. bore — to tire
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. stand — to bear
  9. bank — of a river
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. game — wild animals
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. prune — to trim
  15. prune — to trim
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. game — a match
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. bore — to drill
  20. bank — for money
  21. scale — in music
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. scale — size or range
  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