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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: board · plane · mate · staff · fine · bay · net · tube

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. mate — a friend
  3. net — for catching
  4. board — a committee
  5. net — after costs
  6. net — in sport
  7. staff — employees
  8. plane — a tool
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. mate — to breed
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. fine — all right
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. tube — the underground
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. fine — high quality
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. mate — a partner
  19. board — to get on
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. staff — employees
  22. staff — a stick
  23. tube — a container
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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