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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: board · date · row · kid · ruler · cabinet · jam · leaves

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. row — to paddle
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. kid — child
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. kid — to tease
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. board — to get on
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. board — a committee
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. row — a line
  24. date — the fruit

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