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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: board · rule · key · firm · mine · drill · coach · squash

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. drill — a practice
  3. rule — government
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. drill — the tool
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. key — the most important part
  9. firm — steady
  10. board — a committee
  11. key — for a lock
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. mine — for digging
  14. drill — army training
  15. firm — decided
  16. rule — a law
  17. key — in music
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. squash — the sport
  22. board — to get on
  23. squash — to crush
  24. coach — a trainer

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