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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. board — a committee
  4. board — to get on
  5. net — for catching
  6. net — after costs
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. dip — to sink
  9. pit — a hole
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. ball — a great time
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. pit — in a race
  18. ball — a dance

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