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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: season · foot · race · net · leaves · lean · can · board

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. race — a contest
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. season — in sport
  7. race — the arms race
  8. board — a committee
  9. net — after costs
  10. can — a tin
  11. lean — thin
  12. board — to get on
  13. net — in sport
  14. net — for catching
  15. season — of the year
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. can — a tin
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. can — to be able to
  22. race — humankind
  23. lean — to bend
  24. season — to add flavour

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