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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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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: net · court · calf · board · straw · dip · can · nail

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  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. net — after costs
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. can — to be able to
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. court — of a king
  9. board — a committee
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — a tin
  16. dip — to sink
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. net — for catching
  19. court — for sport
  20. court — of law
  21. board — to get on
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. nail — for a hammer
  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