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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 120 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: mate · band · board · foot · spring · charge · cap · net

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. net — for catching
  5. foot — a measure
  6. board — a committee
  7. charge — electricity
  8. cap — a lid
  9. spring — a coil
  10. spring — the season
  11. charge — in control
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. net — in sport
  14. charge — a price
  15. cap — a hat
  16. board — to get on
  17. band — a ring
  18. spring — of water
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. net — after costs
  21. band — a music group
  22. mate — a partner
  23. mate — a friend
  24. cap — of ice

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