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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: ball · bowl · capital · deal · hide · net · board · stem

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. net — after costs
  4. board — a committee
  5. stem — to come from
  6. capital — a city
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. ball — a great time
  11. net — for catching
  12. deal — to handle
  13. ball — a dance
  14. net — in sport
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. board — to get on
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. capital — money
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. deal — a big deal

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