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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. board — a committee
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. net — for catching
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. board — to get on
  9. dip — to sink
  10. press — a publisher
  11. pit — a hole
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. pitch — completely
  15. pit — in a race
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. net — in sport
  19. press — to push
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. foot — a measure
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. press — newspapers
  24. coach — a trainer

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