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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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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: fork · temple · pit · leaves · bass · trunk · board · court

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. court — of law
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. pit — in a race
  7. court — of a king
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. court — for sport
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. fork — in a road
  17. pit — a hole
  18. bass — low music
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. bass — the fish
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. board — to get on

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