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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. stand — to bear
  3. net — after costs
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. can — to be able to
  8. board — to get on
  9. clip — to cut
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. net — in sport
  12. can — a tin
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. tube — the underground
  16. clip — a video
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. clip — for paper
  20. can — a tin
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. net — for catching
  23. board — a committee
  24. tube — a container

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