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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 116 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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. net — after costs
  3. bass — the fish
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. squash — the sport
  6. net — in sport
  7. net — for catching
  8. can — a tin
  9. object — to protest
  10. can — to be able to
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. bass — low music
  13. pound — a weight
  14. face — to confront
  15. face — part of the head
  16. board — a committee
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. squash — to crush
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. object — a thing
  21. board — to get on
  22. object — an aim
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. can — a tin

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