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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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. land — ground
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. net — after costs
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. cold — not warm
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. club — for golf
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. land — to come down
  12. club — a group
  13. land — a country
  14. bank — for money
  15. board — a committee
  16. net — for catching
  17. net — in sport
  18. cold — an illness
  19. club — for dancing
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. bank — for money
  22. board — to get on
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. bank — of a river

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