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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. drill — a practice
  3. net — in sport
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. net — after costs
  6. club — a group
  7. fall — to drop
  8. rule — government
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. bass — low music
  11. drill — the tool
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. plane — a tool
  14. bass — the fish
  15. club — for dancing
  16. net — for catching
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. board — a committee
  20. fall — to drop
  21. rule — a law
  22. fall — the season
  23. drill — army training
  24. club — for golf

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