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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.

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: bound · racket · squash · fan · rash · cabinet · land · rock

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. land — a country
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bound — tied together
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. rock — a stone
  12. bound — obliged
  13. rash — a series
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. land — to come down
  16. bound — certain
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. rash — hasty
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. land — ground
  21. squash — to crush
  22. squash — the sport
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. cabinet — ministers

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