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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. net — for catching
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. net — after costs
  6. dip — to sink
  7. march — music
  8. content — happy
  9. content — the amount
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. march — the month
  12. march — the month
  13. spell — a short time
  14. spell — letters
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. spell — magic
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. net — in sport
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. board — to get on
  23. board — a committee
  24. bowl — a dish

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