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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. board — a committee
  3. board — to get on
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. net — for catching
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. ball — a dance
  8. firm — a company
  9. track — a song
  10. toast — bread
  11. track — a path
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. firm — steady
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. firm — decided
  16. ball — a great time
  17. rash — hasty
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. rash — a series
  23. net — in sport
  24. track — to keep track

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