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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: temple · rule · object · club · coach · mark · bound · board

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. rule — government
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. bound — tied together
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. board — to get on
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. bound — certain
  12. mark — a trace
  13. club — for dancing
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. bound — obliged
  16. object — an aim
  17. board — a committee
  18. rule — a law
  19. club — for golf
  20. object — to protest
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. object — a thing
  23. mark — a grade
  24. club — a group

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