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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: trunk · spring · mine · saw · racket · board · cabinet · cue

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. cue — a signal
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. mine — for digging
  7. spring — a coil
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. board — to get on
  10. board — a committee
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. cue — a hint
  14. saw — the tool
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. spring — the season
  19. cue — for pool
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. spring — of water
  24. racket — a loud noise

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