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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: board · plane · fork · row · bass · suit · rash · roll

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. suit — to fit
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. bass — low music
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. suit — clothes
  7. row — to paddle
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. suit — in cards
  10. plane — a tool
  11. roll — a list
  12. board — a committee
  13. rash — hasty
  14. rash — a series
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. fork — in a road
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. board — to get on
  21. row — a line
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. bass — the fish
  24. roll — a cake

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