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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  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. pit — a hole
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. rest — a break
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. net — for catching
  6. net — after costs
  7. board — a committee
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. stand — to bear
  10. rest — what's left
  11. kick — in football
  12. net — in sport
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. hand — help
  16. pit — in a race
  17. rest — what's left
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. hand — in cards
  23. board — a flat piece
  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