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

Word bank: rule · trunk · bowl · stand · racket · bay

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. rule — government
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. rule — a law
  15. stand — to bear
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. stand — for spectators

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