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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: tube · trunk · board · dip · bore · ball · game · plane

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. board — a committee
  3. board — to get on
  4. game — a match
  5. dip — to sink
  6. bore — to tire
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. ball — a dance
  11. plane — a tool
  12. game — wild animals
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. bore — to drill
  16. tube — the underground
  17. ball — a great time
  18. tube — a container
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. trunk — of a car

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