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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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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: cabinet · temple · fine · board · rush · land · racket · pit

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. fine — all right
  3. board — to get on
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. board — a committee
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. fine — high quality
  10. land — ground
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. rush — hurry
  14. land — to come down
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. pit — in a race
  21. land — a country
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. pit — a hole
  24. racket — for tennis

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