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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
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: suit · pass · board · ball · fan · rule · kid · racket

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. suit — to fit
  4. ball — a great time
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. board — a committee
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. suit — clothes
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. board — to get on
  12. pass — a permit
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. rule — a law
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. suit — in cards
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. kid — child
  23. ball — a dance
  24. rule — government

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