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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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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: board · leaves · bat · spell · cabinet · shower · fine · racket

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. shower — to wash
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. shower — rain
  6. spell — magic
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. board — to get on
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. board — a committee
  15. bat — the animal
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. fine — high quality
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. spell — a short time
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  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