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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: bark · club · band · game · deal · trunk · key · suit

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. club — a group
  5. band — a music group
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. suit — clothes
  8. game — wild animals
  9. key — in music
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. suit — to fit
  12. deal — to handle
  13. suit — in cards
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. key — for a lock
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. band — a ring
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. bark — to shout
  22. key — the most important part
  23. club — for golf
  24. game — a match

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