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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: trunk · plane · rule · chair · racket · club

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. club — a group
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. rule — a law
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. chair — a leader
  8. rule — government
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. club — for dancing
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. club — for golf
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. plane — a tool
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. 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