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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. net — for catching
  3. wound — an injury
  4. board — to get on
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. face — part of the head
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. track — a path
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. face — to point toward
  13. wound — an injury
  14. capital — money
  15. board — a committee
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. track — a song
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. capital — a city
  20. net — after costs
  21. face — to confront
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. date — the fruit
  24. track — to keep track

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