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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: racket · board · fan · bound · perch · stand · last · wound

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. bound — certain
  5. last — final
  6. last — to go on
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. bound — obliged
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. perch — the fish
  14. stand — to bear
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. bound — tied together
  20. wound — an injury
  21. last — finally
  22. board — to get on
  23. board — a committee
  24. wound — an injury

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