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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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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: rock · club · bank · stick · kid · ruler · season · trunk

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. season — of the year
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. season — in sport
  8. bank — for money
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. kid — child
  12. rock — music
  13. kid — to tease
  14. rock — a stone
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. bank — of a river
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. club — a group
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. club — for dancing
  24. bank — for money

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