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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. net — for catching
  3. net — in sport
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. stand — to bear
  6. rash — a series
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. mark — a grade
  11. rash — hasty
  12. net — after costs
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. mark — a trace
  15. board — to get on
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. file — a line of people
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. file — a tool
  20. fork — in a road
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. pitch — completely
  23. board — a committee
  24. file — a document

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