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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 116 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 · board · row · ball · plane · perch · hand · craft

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. ball — a great time
  4. hand — help
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. board — a committee
  9. craft — a skill
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. row — to paddle
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. perch — the fish
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. plane — a tool
  17. row — a line
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. craft — boats
  23. board — to get on
  24. hand — in cards

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