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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  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. suit — to fit
  3. date — the fruit
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. court — for sport
  9. court — of a king
  10. suit — in cards
  11. tube — the underground
  12. roll — a list
  13. board — a committee
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. bore — to tire
  17. court — of law
  18. bore — to drill
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. roll — a cake
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. suit — clothes
  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