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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 · bay · pitcher · file · ball · bear · net · foot

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. bear — the animal
  3. file — a tool
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. board — to get on
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. net — for catching
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. net — in sport
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. foot — a measure
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. file — a document
  18. bear — the animal
  19. board — a committee
  20. net — after costs
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. ball — a great time
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. ball — a dance

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