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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. row — a line
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. board — to get on
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. bass — the fish
  10. net — for catching
  11. can — a tin
  12. row — to paddle
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. bass — low music
  15. net — in sport
  16. board — a committee
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. can — a tin
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. net — after costs
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. pitch — completely

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