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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 120 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
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: court · arm · mine · trunk · bass · racket · mouse · object

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. object — an aim
  3. court — for sport
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. court — of a king
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. court — of law
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. object — a thing
  19. mine — for digging
  20. object — to protest
  21. bass — low music
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. bass — the fish

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