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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
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: game · board · toast · lie · chest · fine · net · racket

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. board — a committee
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. toast — bread
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. net — after costs
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. chest — of your body
  11. board — to get on
  12. chest — of your body
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. lie — to recline
  15. net — for catching
  16. fine — all right
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. chest — a box
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. game — wild animals
  22. game — a match
  23. fine — high quality
  24. net — in sport

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