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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 116 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: racket · nail · mine · trunk · board · rock · fine · kid

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. kid — to tease
  3. board — a committee
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. rock — music
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. board — to get on
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. mine — for digging
  20. rock — a stone
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. fine — all right
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. kid — child

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