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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
468
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: date · nail · march · tube · board · coach · rule · pound

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  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. coach — a trainer
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. march — music
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. tube — the underground
  9. march — the month
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. board — a committee
  12. tube — a container
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. rule — government
  19. date — the fruit
  20. rule — a law
  21. pound — a weight
  22. march — the month
  23. board — to get on
  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