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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. board — a committee
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. plane — a tool
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. net — in sport
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. fork — in a road
  12. net — for catching
  13. net — after costs
  14. roll — a cake
  15. board — to get on
  16. roll — a list
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. mine — for digging
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. plane — in geometry

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