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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 116 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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. rush — hurry
  3. net — in sport
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. net — for catching
  9. can — a tin
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. rock — music
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. can — to be able to
  14. board — a committee
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. board — to get on
  17. net — after costs
  18. rock — a stone

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