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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. rock — a stone
  3. mug — a face
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. board — to get on
  6. rock — music
  7. mug — to rob
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. squash — to crush
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. squash — the sport
  12. mug — a cup
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. date — the fruit
  15. scale — size or range
  16. scale — in music
  17. board — a committee
  18. scale — for weighing

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