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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. board — a committee
  4. ground — crushed
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. spring — a coil
  7. spring — of water
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. spring — the season
  10. board — to get on
  11. net — in sport
  12. net — for catching
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. net — after costs
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. ground — a position
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. ground — the earth
  24. coach — a trainer

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