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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.

Make a worksheet

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: board · ground · mine · ruler · saw · net

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. ground — crushed
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. net — after costs
  5. ground — a position
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. net — for catching
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. net — in sport
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. board — to get on
  12. saw — the tool
  13. ground — the earth
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. board — a committee
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. saw — the tool
  18. board — a flat piece

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