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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. ground — the earth
  3. net — in sport
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. board — a committee
  6. net — for catching
  7. clip — for paper
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. clip — to cut
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. court — of a king
  14. ground — a position
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. court — of law
  17. plane — a tool
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. court — for sport
  21. net — after costs
  22. board — to get on
  23. clip — a video
  24. patient — a sick person

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