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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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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: bowl · board · wind · rash · perch · bass · key · kick

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. key — in music
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. perch — the fish
  7. bass — low music
  8. wind — moving air
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. board — to get on
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. key — for a lock
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. kick — in football
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. board — a committee
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. rash — a series
  20. wind — moving air
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. rash — hasty
  23. key — the most important part
  24. bass — the fish

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