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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 124 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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. net — after costs
  3. net — in sport
  4. mark — a grade
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. content — happy
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. bore — to drill
  12. mark — a trace
  13. chip — to eat
  14. bore — to tire
  15. board — to get on
  16. suit — in cards
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. suit — to fit
  19. board — a committee
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. suit — clothes
  23. content — the amount
  24. chip — for betting

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