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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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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: mark · roll · board · chair · firm · nail · can · net

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. net — after costs
  3. roll — a cake
  4. board — to get on
  5. net — for catching
  6. can — to be able to
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. firm — steady
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. firm — decided
  12. firm — a company
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. chair — a leader
  15. mark — a trace
  16. board — a committee
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. mark — a grade
  20. roll — a list
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. can — a tin
  23. net — in sport
  24. chair — to sit on

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