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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. bound — certain
  3. staff — employees
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. net — for catching
  6. object — a thing
  7. prune — to trim
  8. prune — to trim
  9. net — in sport
  10. board — to get on
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. object — to protest
  13. staff — employees
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. bound — obliged
  16. bound — tied together
  17. tube — a container
  18. object — an aim
  19. tube — the underground
  20. net — after costs
  21. board — a committee
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. staff — a stick
  24. bowl — to roll

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