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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. ground — the earth
  5. board — to get on
  6. net — after costs
  7. game — wild animals
  8. lean — thin
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. season — in sport
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. net — for catching
  15. ground — a position
  16. net — in sport
  17. game — a match
  18. season — of the year
  19. ground — crushed
  20. board — a committee
  21. lean — to bend
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. board — a flat piece

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