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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: deal · staff · ground · pass · net · mug · board · spell

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. net — after costs
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. mug — to rob
  6. mug — a face
  7. staff — a stick
  8. deal — to handle
  9. ground — the earth
  10. ground — crushed
  11. board — to get on
  12. staff — employees
  13. mug — a cup
  14. staff — employees
  15. spell — letters
  16. spell — magic
  17. pass — a permit
  18. ground — a position
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. spell — a short time
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. net — for catching
  23. board — a committee
  24. deal — a big deal

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