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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.

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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. board — to get on
  3. board — a committee
  4. rule — government
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. rule — a law
  8. land — ground
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. bound — tied together
  11. club — for dancing
  12. current — happening now
  13. drill — army training
  14. drill — the tool
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. club — for golf
  17. current — electric
  18. land — a country
  19. current — of water
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. drill — a practice
  22. bound — obliged
  23. bound — certain
  24. club — a group

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