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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 · straw · bay · scale · board · pitcher · wave · ruler

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. board — to get on
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. scale — in music
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. board — a committee

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