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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: net · land · board · mug · content · coach · pop · suit

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. content — happy
  4. mug — a cup
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. content — the amount
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. pop — music
  11. suit — in cards
  12. pop — soda
  13. land — a country
  14. mug — to rob
  15. pop — to visit
  16. board — a committee
  17. suit — to fit
  18. board — to get on
  19. net — in sport
  20. net — for catching
  21. land — to come down
  22. land — ground
  23. net — after costs
  24. mug — a face

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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