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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 116 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
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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: fork · board · hide · scale · bound · racket · rash · land

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. bound — certain
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. land — ground
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. land — to come down
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. board — a committee
  13. bound — obliged
  14. scale — size or range
  15. scale — in music
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. land — a country
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. bound — tied together
  21. board — to get on
  22. rash — a series
  23. fork — in a road
  24. fork — a garden tool

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