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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: mug · racket · bank · pitcher · stem · net · kick · trunk

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. mug — a cup
  3. mug — a face
  4. bank — of a river
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. mug — to rob
  9. stem — to come from
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. bank — for money
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. net — in sport
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. net — after costs
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. kick — in football
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. bank — for money
  24. net — for catching

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