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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rush — hurry
  3. board — a committee
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. rest — a break
  7. board — to get on
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. court — of law
  10. net — in sport
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. rock — music
  16. net — for catching
  17. net — after costs
  18. rock — a stone
  19. wound — an injury
  20. court — for sport
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. rest — what's left
  23. court — of a king
  24. wound — an injury

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