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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. net — for catching
  3. net — in sport
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. net — after costs
  6. season — in sport
  7. present — a gift
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. band — a music group
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. board — to get on
  13. lie — to recline
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. present — the time now
  17. band — a ring
  18. present — there
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. board — a committee
  22. dip — to sink
  23. bowl — to roll
  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