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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. court — of a king
  4. court — for sport
  5. tube — the underground
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. board — a committee
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. rest — a break
  11. bank — of a river
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. wake — a trail
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. bank — for money
  16. court — of law
  17. rest — what's left
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. bank — for money
  21. stand — to bear
  22. rest — what's left
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. tube — a container

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