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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.

Make a worksheet

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 · wind · hand · sharp · stem · can · toast · board

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. hand — help
  3. board — a committee
  4. sharp — clever
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. can — a tin
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. wind — moving air
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. can — to be able to
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. toast — bread
  15. can — a tin
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. wind — moving air
  18. stem — to come from
  19. hand — in cards
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. board — to get on
  24. sharp — with an edge

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