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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 120 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 · rash · racket · kick · wound · ruler · pitcher · stick

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. kick — in football
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. board — to get on
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. rash — a series
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. rash — hasty
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. board — a committee
  21. wound — an injury
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pitcher — a jug

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