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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 am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. court — of a king
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. firm — a company
  8. board — to get on
  9. court — for sport
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. rest — a break
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. fork — in a road
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. firm — decided
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. board — a committee
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rest — what's left
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. firm — steady
  24. court — of law

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