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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 had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. kid — to tease
  3. board — a committee
  4. suit — to fit
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. rush — hurry
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. rule — government
  10. rule — a law
  11. board — to get on
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. court — for sport
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. court — of law
  19. pass — a permit
  20. court — of a king
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. suit — in cards
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. suit — clothes

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