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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  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 — a committee
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. board — to get on
  5. cold — an illness
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. dip — to sink
  10. court — for sport
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. court — of a king
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. cold — not warm
  17. branch — a division
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. cabinet — ministers
  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