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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. net — after costs
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. net — for catching
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. board — to get on
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. bass — the fish
  11. board — a committee
  12. net — in sport
  13. kick — in football
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. stem — to come from
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. bass — low music
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. board — a flat piece

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