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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 116 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: pop · suit · staff · mark · trunk · straw · club · ball

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. ball — a great time
  3. pop — music
  4. pop — to visit
  5. staff — employees
  6. ball — a dance
  7. staff — a stick
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. club — for golf
  11. club — for dancing
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. mark — a grade
  14. club — a group
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. mark — a trace
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. suit — to fit
  20. staff — employees
  21. suit — in cards
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. suit — clothes
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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