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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. lean — thin
  3. spell — letters
  4. board — a committee
  5. kick — in football
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. cap — of ice
  10. net — after costs
  11. spell — magic
  12. lean — to bend
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. cap — a hat
  17. board — to get on
  18. cap — a lid
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. spell — a short time
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. net — in sport
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. net — for catching

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