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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. net — in sport
  3. scale — size or range
  4. rock — a stone
  5. rock — music
  6. mate — a friend
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. net — for catching
  9. board — a committee
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. board — to get on
  12. saw — the tool
  13. hand — help
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. net — after costs
  16. hand — in cards
  17. scale — in music
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. saw — the tool
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. mate — a partner
  24. mate — to breed

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