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

Word bank: rule · board · suit · fork · spell · game · dip · nail

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. suit — to fit
  4. rule — a law
  5. fork — in a road
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. suit — clothes
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. rule — government
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. game — a match
  12. spell — a short time
  13. game — wild animals
  14. dip — to sink
  15. board — a committee
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. suit — in cards
  19. spell — magic
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. spell — letters
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. game — a kind of play

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