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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 120 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: spell · drill · rule · dip · board · squash · last · club

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. club — a group
  3. board — a committee
  4. club — for dancing
  5. squash — to crush
  6. dip — to sink
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. last — finally
  9. spell — a short time
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. rule — a law
  12. drill — a practice
  13. club — for golf
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. drill — the tool
  16. drill — army training
  17. spell — letters
  18. last — to go on
  19. rule — government
  20. squash — the sport
  21. spell — magic
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. last — final
  24. squash — the vegetable

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