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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 116 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: board · fan · bank · hide · game · stick · pitcher · ruler

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. board — a committee
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. game — wild animals
  9. bank — for money
  10. bank — of a river
  11. bank — for money
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. game — a match
  24. hide — to keep secret

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