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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 116 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: row · dip · board · rule · spell · rash · pitcher · bound

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. spell — magic
  4. row — a line
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. bound — certain
  7. spell — letters
  8. rule — government
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. bound — obliged
  11. bound — tied together
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. row — to paddle
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. board — to get on
  16. rash — hasty
  17. rule — a law
  18. spell — a short time
  19. board — a committee
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. dip — to sink
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. rash — a series

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