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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: ground · racket · saw · court · rush · rock · board · fine

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. ground — the earth
  3. fine — all right
  4. board — to get on
  5. saw — the tool
  6. ground — a position
  7. rock — music
  8. court — of a king
  9. saw — the tool
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. court — for sport
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. ground — crushed
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. fine — high quality
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. court — of law
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. rock — a stone
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. rush — hurry
  24. board — a committee

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