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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 120 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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. ground — the earth
  3. board — a committee
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. ground — crushed
  6. club — for golf
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. drill — a practice
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. club — for dancing
  11. net — in sport
  12. club — a group
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. ground — a position
  19. board — to get on
  20. drill — the tool
  21. pitch — completely
  22. net — after costs
  23. drill — army training
  24. stand — to bear

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