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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
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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: board · pitcher · rule · bay · trunk · game · row · toast

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. rule — government
  4. toast — bread
  5. board — to get on
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. rule — a law
  10. row — a line
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. game — a match
  15. board — a committee
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. game — wild animals
  24. row — to paddle

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