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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: trunk · swing · key · present · bear · bound · club · board

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. present — there
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. swing — in golf
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. bound — obliged
  8. bear — the animal
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. present — a gift
  11. key — in music
  12. board — to get on
  13. present — the time now
  14. key — for a lock
  15. bear — the animal
  16. club — a group
  17. swing — to play on
  18. key — the most important part
  19. bound — tied together
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. bound — certain
  22. board — a committee
  23. club — for golf
  24. swing — 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