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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: racket · key · face · ground · bulb · club · trunk · spell

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. key — in music
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. club — for dancing
  5. face — to confront
  6. spell — a short time
  7. ground — a position
  8. bulb — for light
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. key — the most important part
  11. ground — crushed
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. club — for golf
  14. bulb — for light
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. spell — letters
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. face — to point toward
  19. key — for a lock
  20. spell — magic
  21. ground — the earth
  22. face — part of the head
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. trunk — of a tree

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