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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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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: racket · rule · board · coach · wind · mouse

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. rule — a law
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. wind — moving air
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. board — a committee
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. wind — moving air
  17. rule — government
  18. 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