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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.

Make a worksheet

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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: trunk · board · game · bat · craft · saw

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. bat — the animal
  6. saw — the tool
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. board — to get on
  9. craft — boats
  10. craft — a skill
  11. board — a committee
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. game — wild animals
  14. game — a match
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. saw — the tool

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