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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 116 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: board · rash · stem · cell · key · net · bass · march

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. cell — in biology
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. key — the most important part
  5. net — in sport
  6. net — after costs
  7. march — music
  8. bass — low music
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. cell — a phone
  11. bass — the fish
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. board — a committee
  15. rash — hasty
  16. key — in music
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. rash — a series
  20. key — for a lock
  21. stem — to come from
  22. board — to get on
  23. march — the month
  24. march — the month

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