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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. bound — obliged
  3. board — a committee
  4. net — after costs
  5. season — in sport
  6. bound — certain
  7. mug — to rob
  8. mug — a cup
  9. present — the time now
  10. key — the most important part
  11. present — there
  12. key — in music
  13. board — to get on
  14. key — for a lock
  15. ball — a great time
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. net — in sport
  18. net — for catching
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. season — of the year
  21. ball — a dance
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. bound — tied together
  24. present — a gift

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