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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 120 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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. content — the amount
  3. suit — clothes
  4. band — a ring
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. band — a music group
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. suit — in cards
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. key — in music
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. key — for a lock
  15. club — for dancing
  16. key — the most important part
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. wound — an injury
  19. club — for golf
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. wound — an injury
  22. club — a group
  23. content — happy
  24. suit — to fit

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