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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. board — a committee
  3. can — a tin
  4. board — to get on
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. spell — magic
  7. net — for catching
  8. roll — a list
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. net — after costs
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. can — to be able to
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. foot — a measure
  17. spell — letters
  18. roll — a cake
  19. net — in sport
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. can — a tin
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. spell — a short time

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