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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: deal · rule · board · land · nail · cue · jam · stem

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. rule — a law
  4. land — a country
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. land — ground
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. land — to come down
  11. cue — a hint
  12. cue — a signal
  13. cue — for pool
  14. deal — to handle
  15. rule — government
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. board — to get on
  23. stem — to come from
  24. board — a flat piece

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