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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rule · straw · board · trunk · capital · toast

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. board — to get on
  4. rule — government
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. rule — a law
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. capital — a city
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. capital — money
  12. toast — bread
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. board — a flat piece

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