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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: club · plane · rest · firm · ground · content · trunk · toast

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. firm — steady
  5. ground — crushed
  6. club — for dancing
  7. club — for golf
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. ground — a position
  10. rest — a break
  11. firm — a company
  12. content — happy
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. plane — a tool
  15. content — the amount
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. toast — bread
  18. firm — decided
  19. club — a group
  20. rest — what's left
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. ground — the earth
  24. content — videos and posts

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