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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. court — for sport
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. net — for catching
  6. net — after costs
  7. rest — a break
  8. stand — to bear
  9. net — in sport
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. rest — what's left
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. court — of law
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. bulb — for light
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. rest — what's left
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. bulb — for light
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. court — of a king
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. board — to get on

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