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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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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: bank · mug · net · board · trunk · court · present · wake

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. wake — a trail
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. court — for sport
  7. present — a gift
  8. court — of law
  9. board — to get on
  10. court — of a king
  11. mug — a cup
  12. present — the time now
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. net — for catching
  15. mug — to rob
  16. bank — of a river
  17. net — after costs
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. bank — for money
  21. bank — for money
  22. present — there
  23. net — in sport
  24. board — a committee

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