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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 116 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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. board — to get on
  3. net — after costs
  4. mark — a grade
  5. mine — for digging
  6. scale — in music
  7. file — a tool
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. bank — for money
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. scale — size or range
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. net — for catching
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. net — in sport
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. bank — for money
  20. board — a committee
  21. file — a document
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. file — a line of people
  24. bank — of a river

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