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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: rash · net · march · clip · suit · board · dip · cap

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. net — in sport
  3. cap — a hat
  4. net — after costs
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. suit — in cards
  7. board — to get on
  8. suit — clothes
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. rash — a series
  12. suit — to fit
  13. rash — hasty
  14. dip — to sink
  15. march — the month
  16. clip — for paper
  17. clip — a video
  18. march — the month
  19. board — a committee
  20. cap — of ice
  21. march — music
  22. net — for catching
  23. clip — to cut
  24. board — a flat piece

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