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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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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 ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. stock — goods
  17. court — of a king
  18. stock — shares
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. board — a committee
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. court — for sport
  24. board — to get on

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