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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.

Make a worksheet

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
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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: spell · game · court · row · mug · trunk · fan · fine

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. fine — all right
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. mug — to rob
  5. court — for sport
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. mug — a face
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. game — a match
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. spell — a short time
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. game — wild animals
  14. spell — magic
  15. spell — letters
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. row — a line
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. row — to paddle
  20. court — of a king
  21. mug — a cup
  22. court — of law
  23. fine — high quality
  24. fan — a supporter

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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