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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 chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. hand — in cards
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. rule — a law
  9. bass — the fish
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. rule — government
  15. board — a committee
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. board — to get on
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. bass — low music
  20. hand — help
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. perch — the fish

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