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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 116 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: board · ruler · court · clip · straw · press

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. press — newspapers
  5. clip — a video
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. court — of law
  8. clip — to cut
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. press — a publisher
  11. board — a committee
  12. clip — for paper
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. board — to get on
  15. press — to push
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. court — for sport
  18. court — of a king

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