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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. can — to be able to
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. pit — in a race
  5. net — after costs
  6. can — a tin
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. season — of the year
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. season — in sport
  12. band — a music group
  13. can — a tin
  14. band — a ring
  15. lean — thin
  16. net — for catching
  17. net — in sport
  18. lean — to bend
  19. board — to get on
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. board — a committee

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