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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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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: dip · rule · court · can · board · vault · pop · bore

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. can — to be able to
  3. court — for sport
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. bore — to tire
  6. court — of law
  7. can — a tin
  8. dip — to sink
  9. court — of a king
  10. vault — a safe
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. pop — soda
  13. can — a tin
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. rule — a law
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. pop — to visit
  19. board — to get on
  20. pop — music
  21. bore — to drill
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. rule — government
  24. dip — a sauce

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