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

Word bank: key · trunk · stick · straw · ruler · season · racket · cue

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. key — for a lock
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. key — the most important part
  7. season — in sport
  8. key — in music
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. season — of the year
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. cue — a hint
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. cue — a signal
  23. cue — for pool
  24. straw — a straw man

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