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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. net — after costs
  5. dip — to sink
  6. land — a country
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rest — a break
  9. bat — the animal
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. board — to get on
  13. land — ground
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. board — a committee
  16. net — in sport
  17. season — in sport
  18. bear — the animal
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. season — of the year
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. net — for catching
  24. rest — what's left

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