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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: ground · land · net · firm · board · cue · cap · fan

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. net — for catching
  3. cap — a lid
  4. firm — steady
  5. cue — for pool
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. net — after costs
  8. firm — a company
  9. board — a committee
  10. land — a country
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. land — to come down
  13. cue — a hint
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. net — in sport
  17. ground — a position
  18. land — ground
  19. ground — the earth
  20. cap — of ice
  21. board — to get on
  22. firm — decided
  23. cap — a hat
  24. ground — crushed

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