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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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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: bass · cap · squash · racket · ruler · board · hide · bank

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  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. cap — of ice
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. squash — the sport
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. squash — to crush
  8. bass — the fish
  9. board — a committee
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. board — to get on
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. bank — for money
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. bass — low music
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. bank — for money
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. cap — a hat
  21. bank — of a river
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. cap — a lid
  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