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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
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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: deal · racket · court · bore · object · spring · board · trunk

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. object — an aim
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. bore — to tire
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. bore — to drill
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. spring — of water
  12. board — a committee
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. spring — the season
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. object — a thing
  17. object — to protest
  18. deal — to handle
  19. board — to get on
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. spring — a coil
  22. court — of a king
  23. court — of law
  24. board — a flat piece

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