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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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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. mine — for digging
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. staff — a stick
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. scale — size or range
  9. key — in music
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. bank — of a river
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. scale — in music
  14. wound — an injury
  15. bank — for money
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. staff — employees
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. key — the most important part
  21. wound — an injury
  22. bank — for money
  23. staff — employees
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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