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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: bear · board · suit · scale · racket · pound · land · kick

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. board — a committee
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. pound — a weight
  6. land — to come down
  7. bear — the animal
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. land — a country
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. land — ground
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. scale — size or range
  16. suit — in cards
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. bear — the animal
  19. suit — clothes
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. scale — in music
  22. board — to get on
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. suit — to fit

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