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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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. court — of law
  5. wax — to grow
  6. chip — for betting
  7. board — a committee
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. chip — to eat
  12. land — ground
  13. court — of a king
  14. present — the time now
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. court — for sport
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. present — there
  21. land — a country
  22. present — a gift
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. land — to come down

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