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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. net — for catching
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. mate — to breed
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. tube — the underground
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. board — to get on
  11. chip — to eat
  12. net — in sport
  13. perch — the fish
  14. tube — a container
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. mate — a friend
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. mate — a partner
  20. mine — for digging
  21. chip — for betting
  22. net — after costs
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. tube — in a tire

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