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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. mark — a trace
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. board — to get on
  5. net — after costs
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. capital — a city
  13. fall — to drop
  14. capital — money
  15. stem — to come from
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. net — in sport
  18. board — a committee
  19. fall — to drop
  20. mark — a grade
  21. fall — the season
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. cabinet — ministers

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