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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.

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: bowl · bay · capital · nail · net · fall · board · staff

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. board — to get on
  3. capital — a city
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. staff — employees
  7. net — in sport
  8. staff — employees
  9. fall — to drop
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. capital — money
  13. fall — the season
  14. staff — a stick
  15. board — a committee
  16. net — after costs
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. fall — to drop
  19. net — for catching
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. bowl — a football final

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