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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: scale · court · pound · row · fan · board · branch · ruler

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. court — of a king
  3. board — a committee
  4. row — to paddle
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. branch — a division
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. board — to get on
  10. scale — size or range
  11. scale — in music
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. row — a line
  15. pound — a weight
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. court — of law
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. court — for sport

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