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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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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 · current · court · rash · cell · board · fork · last

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. court — for sport
  3. rule — government
  4. fork — in a road
  5. last — finally
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. cell — in biology
  8. court — of law
  9. board — a committee
  10. current — of water
  11. last — to go on
  12. current — electric
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. rash — hasty
  16. last — final
  17. court — of a king
  18. cell — a phone
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. rule — a law
  21. current — happening now
  22. rash — a series
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. rule — to rule out

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