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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. net — in sport
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. net — for catching
  8. board — to get on
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. board — a committee
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. hand — in cards
  14. stock — goods
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. net — after costs
  17. tube — a container
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. stock — shares
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. tube — the underground
  24. hand — help

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