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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 120 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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. net — for catching
  4. net — in sport
  5. rock — a stone
  6. rock — music
  7. ground — a position
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. shower — rain
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. net — after costs
  12. ground — crushed
  13. board — a committee
  14. board — to get on
  15. plane — a tool
  16. ground — the earth
  17. dip — to sink
  18. ball — a dance
  19. shower — to wash
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. ball — a great time
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. dip — a sauce

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