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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. court — for sport
  3. board — a committee
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. season — of the year
  9. season — in sport
  10. pass — a permit
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. court — of a king
  13. board — to get on
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. bore — to tire
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. bore — to drill
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. court — of law
  24. bore — gave birth

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