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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: pass · wound · board · can · rule · land · bowl · chair

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. wound — an injury
  5. pass — a permit
  6. rule — government
  7. chair — a leader
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. land — ground
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. land — to come down
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. board — a committee
  15. can — to be able to
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. rule — a law
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. wound — an injury
  20. can — a tin
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. can — a tin
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. board — to get on

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