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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: press · club · date · trunk · key · bank · wound · board

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. wound — an injury
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. wound — an injury
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. board — to get on
  7. date — the fruit
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. board — a committee
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. club — for golf
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. press — a publisher
  14. key — the most important part
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. press — newspapers
  17. key — for a lock
  18. club — a group
  19. bank — for money
  20. key — in music
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. press — to push
  23. club — for dancing
  24. bank — of a river

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