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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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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: rule · date · mark · root · board · sharp · court · current

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. court — of law
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. court — of a king
  6. root — of a plant
  7. current — happening now
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. current — of water
  10. root — of a word
  11. mark — a trace
  12. mark — a grade
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. court — for sport
  16. sharp — clever
  17. rule — government
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. board — to get on
  20. current — electric
  21. root — the cause
  22. rule — a law
  23. date — the fruit
  24. sharp — with an edge

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