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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 116 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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  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. cell — a phone
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. fine — high quality
  6. net — for catching
  7. fine — all right
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. cell — in biology
  10. file — a tool
  11. file — a line of people
  12. can — a tin
  13. prune — to trim
  14. net — in sport
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. net — after costs
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. file — a document
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. can — to be able to
  22. board — a committee
  23. can — a tin
  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