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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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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: board · deal · roll · ground · fall · bound · rule · drill

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. board — a committee
  3. deal — to handle
  4. ground — the earth
  5. drill — army training
  6. fall — to drop
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. roll — a cake
  10. drill — the tool
  11. roll — a list
  12. ground — a position
  13. bound — tied together
  14. rule — government
  15. rule — a law
  16. drill — a practice
  17. fall — to drop
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. bound — obliged
  21. fall — the season
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. bound — certain
  24. ground — crushed

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