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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 · plane · jam · net · stand · rash · rule · clip

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. board — a committee
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. rule — government
  6. net — after costs
  7. board — to get on
  8. net — in sport
  9. clip — for paper
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. stand — to bear
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. rash — hasty
  14. plane — a tool
  15. clip — a video
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. clip — to cut
  19. rash — a series
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. rule — a law
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. jam — a tight spot

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