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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.

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: racket · board · scale · pass · bark · band · spring · coach

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. board — to get on
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. board — a committee
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. spring — a coil
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. spring — the season
  15. scale — in music
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. pass — a permit
  19. bark — to shout
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. scale — size or range
  23. band — a ring
  24. spring — of water

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