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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: pit · board · chest · wound · fall · fan · club · ruler

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. wound — an injury
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. club — for dancing
  9. pit — in a race
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. board — a committee
  12. fall — to drop
  13. board — to get on
  14. pit — a hole
  15. chest — of your body
  16. fall — the season
  17. wound — an injury
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. club — for golf
  20. chest — of your body
  21. chest — a box
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. club — a group
  24. fall — to drop

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