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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: foot · board · stick · drill · hide · net

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. drill — the tool
  4. board — a committee
  5. drill — army training
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. drill — a practice
  8. board — to get on
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. net — in sport
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. foot — a measure
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. net — for catching
  18. net — after costs

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