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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: file · board · club · rule · ball · bowl · trunk · kid

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. kid — child
  3. ball — a dance
  4. club — a group
  5. board — to get on
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. club — for dancing
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. ball — a great time
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. file — a document
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. board — a committee
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. file — a line of people
  18. file — a tool
  19. rule — a law
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. club — for golf
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. rule — government
  24. kid — to tease

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