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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. net — in sport
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. band — a ring
  5. board — to get on
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. key — in music
  8. board — a committee
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. game — a match
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. key — the most important part
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. net — after costs
  17. band — a music group
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. key — for a lock
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. game — wild animals
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. band — a rubber band

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