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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. land — ground
  3. board — a committee
  4. net — after costs
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. season — of the year
  7. land — to come down
  8. track — a song
  9. track — a path
  10. bank — for money
  11. land — a country
  12. season — in sport
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — to recline
  16. mate — to breed
  17. bank — for money
  18. bank — of a river
  19. net — in sport
  20. board — to get on
  21. net — for catching
  22. mate — a friend
  23. track — to keep track
  24. mate — a partner

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