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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: key · nail · rock · rule · ruler · club · wake · fine

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. club — a group
  3. rule — a law
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. fine — high quality
  8. club — for golf
  9. key — the most important part
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. rock — music
  12. rock — a stone
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. wake — a trail
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. key — for a lock
  17. key — in music
  18. club — for dancing
  19. rule — government
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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