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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. club — for golf
  3. kick — in football
  4. club — for dancing
  5. season — of the year
  6. can — a tin
  7. field — for sport
  8. can — a tin
  9. key — in music
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. wind — moving air
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. key — the most important part
  15. key — for a lock
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. wind — moving air
  18. field — farmland
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. field — a subject
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. can — to be able to
  23. club — a group
  24. season — in sport

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