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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: root · trunk · club · deal · bank · plane · board · track

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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. root — the cause
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. board — a committee
  6. club — for golf
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. plane — a tool
  9. club — a group
  10. track — a path
  11. root — of a plant
  12. track — a song
  13. bank — for money
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. deal — to handle
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. board — to get on
  20. track — to keep track
  21. bank — of a river
  22. bank — for money
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. root — of a word

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