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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: bat · trunk · safe · object · game · racket · toast · key

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. object — a thing
  3. bat — the animal
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. key — the most important part
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. game — wild animals
  9. key — for a lock
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. object — to protest
  12. toast — bread
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. object — an aim
  24. key — in music

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