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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. deal — to handle
  3. net — for catching
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. saw — the tool
  6. board — a committee
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. bound — certain
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. race — the arms race
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. degree — an amount
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. race — a contest
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. degree — from a university
  17. bound — obliged
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. degree — temperature
  20. race — humankind
  21. board — to get on
  22. net — after costs
  23. bound — tied together
  24. saw — the tool

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