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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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. pit — a hole
  4. board — a committee
  5. net — for catching
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. pit — in a race
  8. rash — a series
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. plane — a tool
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. net — in sport
  16. drill — a practice
  17. court — of law
  18. rash — hasty
  19. court — of a king
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. drill — the tool
  22. court — for sport
  23. net — after costs
  24. drill — army training

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