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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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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: wound · board · bowl · rule · land · mark · firm · rush

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. board — to get on
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. firm — decided
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. rule — a law
  7. land — a country
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. rush — hurry
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. firm — a company
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. mark — a grade
  15. board — a committee
  16. mark — a trace
  17. land — ground
  18. land — to come down
  19. rule — government
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wound — an injury
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. rule — to rule out

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