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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 116 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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  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. coach — pulled by horses
  2. spell — letters
  3. net — for catching
  4. rush — hurry
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. board — a committee
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. spell — a short time
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. spell — magic
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. object — an aim
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. object — a thing
  19. dip — to sink
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. net — in sport
  22. net — after costs
  23. object — to protest
  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