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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: rash · nail · racket · bay · band · cabinet · stem · march

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. band — a music group
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. rash — a series
  8. stem — to come from
  9. march — music
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. band — a ring
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. march — the month
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. march — the month
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. rash — hasty

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