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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
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: stock · scale · wound · racket · bound · board · rash · pop

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. rash — a series
  3. stock — shares
  4. bound — obliged
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. wound — an injury
  8. rash — hasty
  9. stock — goods
  10. bound — tied together
  11. bound — certain
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. pop — to visit
  15. wound — an injury
  16. scale — size or range
  17. pop — soda
  18. board — to get on
  19. scale — in music
  20. board — a committee
  21. pop — music
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. racket — a loud noise

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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