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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. pass — a permit
  3. pound — a weight
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. cap — a hat
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. net — in sport
  8. net — for catching
  9. board — to get on
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. cap — a lid
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. cap — of ice
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. net — after costs
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. board — a committee
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. pitcher — a jug

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