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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: hide · net · chip · club · board · field · pass · bore

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. net — after costs
  3. field — farmland
  4. field — a subject
  5. pass — a permit
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. chip — to eat
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. club — for dancing
  11. board — a committee
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. bore — to tire
  16. chip — for betting
  17. net — in sport
  18. board — to get on
  19. club — a group
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. bore — to drill
  22. net — for catching
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. club — for golf

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