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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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Word bank
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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 · court · pass · board · craft · chair

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. rule — a law
  3. board — a committee
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. pass — a permit
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. craft — boats
  10. court — of a king
  11. court — for sport
  12. board — to get on
  13. rule — government
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. craft — a skill
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. chair — a leader

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