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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 · pop · suit · key · file · rock · land

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. key — in music
  3. suit — clothes
  4. key — for a lock
  5. file — a tool
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. land — a country
  8. track — to keep track
  9. track — a path
  10. pop — music
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. rock — music
  13. track — a song
  14. land — ground
  15. suit — to fit
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. file — a document
  18. pop — soda
  19. rock — a stone
  20. land — to come down
  21. file — a line of people
  22. pop — to visit
  23. key — the most important part
  24. suit — in cards

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