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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: rule · wave · board · nail · ground · cue · key · clip

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. key — for a lock
  4. clip — for paper
  5. ground — a position
  6. rule — a law
  7. key — in music
  8. cue — a signal
  9. cue — a hint
  10. cue — for pool
  11. board — a committee
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. ground — the earth
  17. board — to get on
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. key — the most important part
  21. clip — to cut
  22. rule — government
  23. clip — a video
  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