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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. rock — music
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. mate — to breed
  6. mate — a friend
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. board — a committee
  9. net — for catching
  10. board — to get on
  11. bound — obliged
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. mate — a partner
  16. bound — certain
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. net — after costs
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. bound — tied together
  23. rock — a stone
  24. bowl — to roll

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