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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: track · trunk · mouse · last · hand · key · fine · board

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. last — finally
  4. last — to go on
  5. hand — help
  6. track — to keep track
  7. track — a path
  8. board — a committee
  9. fine — high quality
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. last — final
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. track — a song
  14. hand — in cards
  15. board — to get on
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. fine — all right
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. key — in music
  20. key — for a lock
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. key — the most important part

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