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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. cap — a hat
  4. spell — magic
  5. net — for catching
  6. rest — what's left
  7. net — after costs
  8. season — of the year
  9. march — the month
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. cap — a lid
  13. march — music
  14. cap — of ice
  15. board — a committee
  16. spell — a short time
  17. spell — letters
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. season — in sport
  20. plane — a tool
  21. rest — what's left
  22. march — the month
  23. rest — a break
  24. board — to get on

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