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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. net — after costs
  3. bound — certain
  4. field — farmland
  5. board — to get on
  6. board — a committee
  7. present — the time now
  8. net — for catching
  9. field — for sport
  10. mark — a grade
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. mark — a trace
  15. bound — obliged
  16. bound — tied together
  17. field — a subject
  18. pit — in a race
  19. present — a gift
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. net — in sport
  24. pit — a hole

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