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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: board · craft · shower · net · season · toast · tube · rule

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. board — to get on
  3. craft — boats
  4. toast — bread
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. rule — government
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. shower — rain
  9. tube — a container
  10. tube — the underground
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. season — in sport
  13. net — in sport
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. rule — a law
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. shower — to wash
  19. craft — a skill
  20. net — for catching
  21. season — of the year
  22. board — a committee
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. season — to add flavour

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