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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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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: racket · board · plane · lash · mark · club · net · band

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. band — a ring
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. mark — a grade
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. net — for catching
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. club — for golf
  12. mark — a trace
  13. band — a music group
  14. plane — a tool
  15. net — in sport
  16. board — a committee
  17. board — to get on
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. net — after costs
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. club — a group

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