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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 hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. net — after costs
  4. staff — employees
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. net — in sport
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. board — to get on
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. board — a committee
  13. bat — the animal
  14. fork — in a road
  15. bulb — for light
  16. staff — a stick
  17. staff — employees
  18. net — for catching
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. bulb — for light
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. board — a flat piece

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