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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  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. net — for catching
  2. cap — a hat
  3. cap — a lid
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. board — a committee
  6. bear — the animal
  7. stock — shares
  8. board — to get on
  9. bear — the animal
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. net — in sport
  12. cap — of ice
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. present — a gift
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. present — the time now
  17. net — after costs
  18. stock — goods
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. hand — in cards
  22. present — there
  23. bear — to put up with
  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