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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.

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: safe · season · rule · deal · press · court · board · drill

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. rule — a law
  3. press — to push
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. drill — the tool
  6. press — a publisher
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. season — in sport
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. drill — army training
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. press — newspapers
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. deal — to handle
  15. rule — government
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. court — for sport
  18. board — a committee
  19. court — of law
  20. board — to get on
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. season — of the year
  23. drill — a practice
  24. deal — an agreement

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