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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: nail · ruler · date · trunk · fan · club · pit · rule

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. club — a group
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. club — for dancing
  7. rule — a law
  8. date — the fruit
  9. pit — in a race
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. pit — a hole
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. rule — government
  19. club — for golf
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. date — on the calendar

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