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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. court — of a king
  3. board — to get on
  4. current — of water
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. rule — a law
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. field — farmland
  12. field — for sport
  13. court — of law
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. court — for sport
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. field — a subject
  18. rule — government
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. current — electric
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. current — happening now

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