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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. net — in sport
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. board — a committee
  10. key — the most important part
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. season — in sport
  15. net — after costs
  16. toast — bread
  17. mine — for digging
  18. season — of the year
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. net — for catching
  21. key — in music
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. key — for a lock
  24. board — to get on

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