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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: rest · board · foot · net · last · rule · ball · bear

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. foot — a measure
  5. last — final
  6. last — finally
  7. last — to go on
  8. rest — a break
  9. board — to get on
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. net — after costs
  13. rule — a law
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. net — in sport
  16. bear — the animal
  17. ball — a dance
  18. rest — what's left
  19. board — a committee
  20. ball — a great time
  21. rest — what's left
  22. bear — the animal
  23. rule — government
  24. ball — a round shape

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