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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. rule — a law
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. scale — in music
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. chair — a leader
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. board — a committee
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. rash — hasty
  13. rash — a series
  14. kick — in football
  15. vault — a safe
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. rule — government
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. scale — size or range
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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