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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 116 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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. scale — in music
  3. cap — of ice
  4. net — after costs
  5. cap — a hat
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. cap — a lid
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. net — for catching
  11. stock — goods
  12. board — to get on
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. stock — shares
  19. scale — size or range
  20. rock — a stone
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. rock — music
  24. board — a committee

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