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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: mine · board · key · ruler · land · rule · sharp · suit

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. suit — to fit
  3. land — a country
  4. rule — a law
  5. key — in music
  6. mine — for digging
  7. suit — clothes
  8. key — for a lock
  9. rule — government
  10. board — to get on
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. sharp — clever
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. land — ground
  19. suit — in cards
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. land — to come down
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. key — the most important part

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