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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 120 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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. net — after costs
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. board — to get on
  6. rock — music
  7. bound — certain
  8. rock — a stone
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. net — in sport
  14. board — a committee
  15. bound — tied together
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. bound — obliged
  18. net — for catching

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