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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: club · bound · firm · toast · trunk · root · mouse · key

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. club — for dancing
  3. bound — obliged
  4. club — for golf
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. bound — certain
  7. key — the most important part
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. root — of a plant
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. root — the cause
  12. key — for a lock
  13. root — of a word
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. club — a group
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. bound — tied together
  20. firm — steady
  21. firm — a company
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. toast — bread
  24. firm — decided

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