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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. net — after costs
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. board — to get on
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. season — of the year
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. net — for catching
  12. net — in sport
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. board — a committee
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. rock — music
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. season — in sport

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