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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: board · toast · spell · fall · ruler · spring · racket · row

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. row — to paddle
  7. fall — to drop
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. board — a committee
  11. row — a line
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. fall — to drop
  14. spring — the season
  15. spell — magic
  16. fall — the season
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. spring — a coil
  20. toast — bread
  21. board — to get on
  22. spell — letters
  23. spring — of water
  24. spell — a short time

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