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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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Word bank
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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: board · stand · drill · cap · rule · craft

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. stand — to bear
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. drill — a practice
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. board — a committee
  9. board — to get on
  10. cap — of ice
  11. craft — a skill
  12. cap — a lid
  13. cap — a hat
  14. rule — government
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. rule — a law
  17. drill — army training
  18. drill — the tool

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