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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: key · fall · racket · rule · rash · leaves · board · fork

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. rule — a law
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. board — a committee
  7. key — in music
  8. fall — the season
  9. rule — government
  10. board — to get on
  11. fall — to drop
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. key — the most important part
  14. rash — hasty
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. fork — in a road
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. key — for a lock
  23. rash — a series
  24. fall — to drop

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