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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: rash · deal · board · nail · bass · field · fine · stick

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. fine — all right
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. rash — hasty
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. bass — low music
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. fine — high quality
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. field — farmland
  13. field — a subject
  14. board — a committee
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. field — for sport
  17. bass — the fish
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. board — to get on
  21. deal — to handle
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. rash — a series
  24. nail — for a hammer

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