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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: racket · row · plane · board · stock · bound · wind · band

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. band — a ring
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. bound — tied together
  7. stock — shares
  8. row — to paddle
  9. bound — certain
  10. plane — a tool
  11. wind — moving air
  12. band — a music group
  13. bound — obliged
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. board — to get on
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. board — a committee
  23. wind — moving air
  24. stock — goods

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