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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: deal · calf · game · current · rule · pass · court · board

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. board — to get on
  5. current — electric
  6. court — of law
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. current — of water
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. court — for sport
  14. rule — a law
  15. pass — a permit
  16. rule — government
  17. game — a match
  18. board — a committee
  19. deal — to handle
  20. current — happening now
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. court — of a king
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. game — wild animals

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