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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
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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 · cap · pitcher · board · swing · game · pit · perch

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. pit — in a race
  3. net — in sport
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. pit — a hole
  6. cap — a hat
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. game — wild animals
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. board — to get on
  12. cap — a lid
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. net — after costs
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. swing — to play on
  17. board — a committee
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. cap — of ice
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. swing — music
  22. swing — in golf
  23. game — a match
  24. perch — the fish

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