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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.

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: hand · ground · racket · land · bay · board · cue · squash

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. hand — help
  6. land — a country
  7. ground — the earth
  8. cue — for pool
  9. ground — a position
  10. ground — crushed
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. squash — to crush
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. cue — a signal
  17. hand — in cards
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. board — a committee
  20. board — to get on
  21. cue — a hint
  22. squash — the sport
  23. land — to come down
  24. hand — part of the body

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