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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: trunk · hide · rock · racket · fine · land · bass · board

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. fine — high quality
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. rock — music
  7. land — ground
  8. board — to get on
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. bass — the fish
  13. board — a committee
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. land — to come down
  17. fine — all right
  18. bass — low music
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. rock — a stone
  24. land — a country

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