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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 120 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: key · straw · trunk · mug · pit · chip · fine · club

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. club — a group
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. key — for a lock
  7. club — for golf
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. key — in music
  10. chip — to eat
  11. key — the most important part
  12. pit — a hole
  13. mug — to rob
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. pit — in a race
  16. mug — a cup
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. fine — all right
  19. chip — for betting
  20. club — for dancing
  21. fine — high quality
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. mug — a face

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