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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. tube — a container
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. tube — the underground
  5. board — a committee
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. bass — low music
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. hand — help
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. bass — the fish
  16. board — to get on
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. deal — to handle
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. vault — a safe
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. nail — on a finger

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