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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: ball · mate · trunk · board · lie · march · court · rush

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. lie — to recline
  3. mate — to breed
  4. court — for sport
  5. march — the month
  6. ball — a great time
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. mate — a partner
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. court — of a king
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. march — music
  15. march — the month
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. mate — a friend
  20. rush — hurry
  21. ball — a dance
  22. board — a committee
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. court — of 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