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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: board · fine · game · prune · ground · wound · racket · temple

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. board — a committee
  4. ground — crushed
  5. game — wild animals
  6. ground — the earth
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. wound — an injury
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. fine — high quality
  13. board — to get on
  14. prune — to trim
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. game — a match
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. prune — to trim
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. ground — a position
  22. wound — an injury
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. fine — all right

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