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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. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. land — to come down
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. cue — a hint
  5. land — ground
  6. rash — a series
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. bank — of a river
  9. bank — for money
  10. cue — for pool
  11. board — a committee
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. rash — hasty
  14. bank — for money
  15. cue — a signal
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. land — a country
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. squash — the sport
  20. rule — a law
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. rule — government
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. squash — to crush

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