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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. last — to go on
  10. game — wild animals
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. hand — in cards
  13. last — final
  14. board — a committee
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. scale — in music
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. game — a match
  20. last — finally
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. scale — size or range
  23. hand — help
  24. scale — for weighing

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