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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  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. can — to be able to
  2. wind — moving air
  3. board — to get on
  4. net — after costs
  5. can — a tin
  6. key — the most important part
  7. board — a committee
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. key — in music
  10. can — a tin
  11. cap — a lid
  12. ball — a great time
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. wind — moving air
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. key — for a lock
  19. net — in sport
  20. cap — a hat
  21. ball — a dance
  22. cap — of ice
  23. board — a flat piece
  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