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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 120 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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. board — a committee
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. court — for sport
  6. ball — a dance
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. rush — hurry
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. court — of law
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. bank — for money
  16. ball — a great time
  17. board — to get on
  18. face — part of the head
  19. bank — for money
  20. face — to point toward
  21. bank — of a river
  22. face — to confront
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. board — a flat piece

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