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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: last · bear · trunk · tear · key · can · court · club

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  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. can — to be able to
  2. last — to go on
  3. last — final
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. bear — the animal
  6. tear — from crying
  7. tear — to rip
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. court — of a king
  10. club — for golf
  11. tear — from crying
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. court — of law
  15. can — a tin
  16. court — for sport
  17. bear — the animal
  18. can — a tin
  19. club — a group
  20. last — finally
  21. club — for dancing
  22. key — for a lock
  23. key — the most important part
  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