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

Word bank: hand · bowl · rule · board · trunk · foot · perch · deal

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. rule — government
  6. deal — to handle
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. board — a committee
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. rule — a law
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. perch — the fish
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. board — to get on
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. hand — help
  21. hand — in cards
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. foot — a measure

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