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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. board — a committee
  3. net — for catching
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. net — after costs
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. bat — the animal
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. board — to get on
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. bear — the animal
  17. net — in sport
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. bear — the animal
  22. deal — to handle
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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