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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. court — of law
  4. mug — a cup
  5. vault — a safe
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. mug — to rob
  9. file — a tool
  10. file — a line of people
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. board — to get on
  13. court — for sport
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. file — a document
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. row — to paddle
  18. board — a committee
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. row — a line
  22. court — of a king
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. mug — a face

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