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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rest — what's left
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. can — a tin
  8. board — a committee
  9. pit — a hole
  10. rest — a break
  11. net — in sport
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. net — after costs
  14. hand — in cards
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. net — for catching
  17. date — the fruit
  18. hand — help
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. pit — in a race
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. board — to get on
  24. can — a tin

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