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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: key · spell · arm · ground · sharp · club · trunk · bear

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. sharp — clever
  3. club — for golf
  4. ground — the earth
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. spell — magic
  7. key — for a lock
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. bear — the animal
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. spell — letters
  14. bear — the animal
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. ground — crushed
  17. spell — a short time
  18. club — for dancing
  19. club — a group
  20. key — the most important part
  21. key — in music
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. ground — a position

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