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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: field · trunk · racket · nail · straw · board · rule · mouse

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. board — a committee
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. field — farmland
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. board — to get on
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. field — for sport
  14. rule — government
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. field — a subject
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. rule — a law

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