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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. net — in sport
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. fine — all right
  6. board — a committee
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. fine — high quality
  13. net — after costs
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. board — to get on
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. capital — money
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. rush — hurry
  21. capital — a city
  22. net — for catching
  23. pitch — completely
  24. capital — a big letter

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