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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 120 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 · cabinet · straw · net · rock · board · track · pit

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. track — a path
  3. net — in sport
  4. pit — in a race
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. net — for catching
  9. rock — a stone
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. season — of the year
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. rock — music
  16. pit — a hole
  17. track — a song
  18. board — a committee
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. net — after costs
  21. board — to get on
  22. track — to keep track
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. season — 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