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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: kick · court · board · shower · object · stick · trunk · press

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. shower — to wash
  4. board — to get on
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. shower — rain
  7. object — to protest
  8. press — newspapers
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. court — of a king
  12. object — an aim
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. board — a committee
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. press — a publisher
  19. object — a thing
  20. court — for sport
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. press — to push
  23. kick — in football
  24. board — a flat piece

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