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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. spell — a short time
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. court — for sport
  7. spell — magic
  8. board — to get on
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. pit — a hole
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. court — of a king
  13. firm — a company
  14. pit — in a race
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. firm — steady
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. board — a committee
  19. spell — letters
  20. hand — in cards
  21. firm — decided
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. court — of law
  24. hand — help

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