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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: key · hide · pound · net · roll · land · rule · board

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. board — a committee
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. pound — a weight
  6. key — for a lock
  7. net — in sport
  8. key — the most important part
  9. board — to get on
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. rule — government
  13. land — a country
  14. roll — a cake
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. rule — a law
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. net — for catching
  19. land — ground
  20. land — to come down
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. roll — a list
  24. net — after costs

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