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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: rash · ball · band · bowl · trunk · board · court · club

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. club — for dancing
  5. ball — a dance
  6. band — a ring
  7. court — for sport
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. court — of a king
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. band — a music group
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. board — to get on
  15. club — for golf
  16. rash — a series
  17. board — a committee
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. rash — hasty
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. club — a group
  24. ball — a great time

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