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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 120 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: scale · board · season · current · ruler · pitcher · land · rash

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. land — to come down
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. current — of water
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. board — a committee
  8. land — ground
  9. land — a country
  10. current — happening now
  11. season — in sport
  12. rash — hasty
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. rash — a series
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. current — electric
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. season — of the year
  23. scale — in music
  24. scale — size or range

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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