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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 120 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've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. charge — a price
  5. net — for catching
  6. deal — to handle
  7. board — a committee
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. bore — to drill
  11. charge — electricity
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. net — in sport
  17. bore — to tire
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. board — to get on
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. charge — in control
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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