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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. rush — hurry
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. bound — obliged
  6. board — to get on
  7. bound — certain
  8. bound — tied together
  9. board — a committee
  10. net — in sport
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. net — after costs
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. ball — a great time
  15. lie — to recline
  16. field — farmland
  17. ball — a dance
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. field — a subject
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. field — for sport

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