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

Word bank: stick · rule · board · squash · club · drill

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. club — for golf
  4. squash — the sport
  5. drill — a practice
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. drill — the tool
  8. board — to get on
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. board — a committee
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. drill — army training
  13. squash — to crush
  14. club — a group
  15. club — for dancing
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. rule — government
  18. rule — a law

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