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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: trunk · bay · date · nail · board · club · rule · patient

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. rule — government
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. board — a committee
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. club — for dancing
  15. club — a group
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. rule — a law
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. date — the fruit
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. board — to get on
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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