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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: net · board · coach · cap · bowl · file · dip · snap

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. board — a committee
  7. cap — a lid
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. snap — to click
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. net — after costs
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. cap — of ice
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. net — in sport
  17. file — a document
  18. cap — a hat
  19. net — for catching
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. file — a line of people
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. file — a tool
  24. board — to get on

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