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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: swing · mark · bay · net · stem · rash · board · mine

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. mark — a grade
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. net — after costs
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. net — for catching
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. rash — hasty
  9. swing — music
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. swing — in golf
  14. rash — a series
  15. mine — for digging
  16. stem — to come from
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. net — in sport
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. swing — to play on
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. board — to get on
  24. mark — a trace

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