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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. bank — of a river
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. track — to keep track
  5. rule — a law
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. track — a path
  9. rule — government
  10. pop — music
  11. track — a song
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. hand — in cards
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. pop — to visit
  16. board — to get on
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. pop — soda
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. bank — for money
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. hand — help
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. bank — for money

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