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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  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 — in sport
  2. net — after costs
  3. cell — a phone
  4. cell — in biology
  5. net — for catching
  6. board — a committee
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. fall — the season
  9. track — a path
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. track — a song
  12. kick — in football
  13. board — to get on
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fall — to drop
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. fall — to drop
  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