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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: bowl · present · object · stick · court · trunk · nail · row

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. court — of a king
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. present — there
  7. row — to paddle
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. court — for sport
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. court — of law
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. present — the time now
  18. object — a thing
  19. object — an aim
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. row — a line
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. object — to protest
  24. present — a gift

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