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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: staff · chip · trunk · club · rock · key · mark · land

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. staff — employees
  4. key — the most important part
  5. staff — a stick
  6. land — a country
  7. land — to come down
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. mark — a trace
  10. land — ground
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. mark — a grade
  13. chip — to eat
  14. rock — a stone
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. chip — for betting
  17. rock — music
  18. key — in music
  19. staff — employees
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. key — for a lock
  23. club — for dancing
  24. club — a group

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