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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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. board — to get on
  4. board — a committee
  5. squash — to crush
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. squash — the sport
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. charge — electricity
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. court — for sport
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. tube — the underground
  18. wake — a trail
  19. charge — in control
  20. court — of a king
  21. court — of law
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. charge — a price
  24. squash — the vegetable

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