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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 120 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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. board — to get on
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. band — a ring
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. pit — in a race
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. rule — a law
  11. race — a contest
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. race — humankind
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. race — the arms race
  18. pit — a hole
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. band — a music group
  21. rule — government
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. board — a committee

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