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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 116 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: season · club · sharp · mate · fan · wake · trunk · key

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. mate — a partner
  3. sharp — clever
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. season — in sport
  8. club — for dancing
  9. wake — a trail
  10. mate — to breed
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. club — for golf
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. key — for a lock
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. mate — a friend
  18. key — the most important part
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. club — a group
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. season — of the year

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