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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: ruler · net · pit · cold · board · game · plane · coach

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. net — in sport
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. plane — a tool
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. cold — not warm
  11. game — wild animals
  12. cold — an illness
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. board — to get on
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. net — for catching
  19. net — after costs
  20. pit — a hole
  21. board — a committee
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. pit — in a race
  24. game — a kind of play

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