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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: row · pop · track · racket · trunk · season · board · present

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. row — to paddle
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. present — there
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. track — a path
  7. pop — music
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. season — in sport
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. track — a song
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. present — a gift
  15. track — to keep track
  16. season — of the year
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. present — the time now
  20. board — to get on
  21. pop — to visit
  22. pop — soda
  23. board — a committee
  24. row — a line

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