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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. board — to get on
  3. roll — a cake
  4. squash — the sport
  5. root — of a word
  6. mug — a cup
  7. shower — rain
  8. mug — to rob
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. court — of a king
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. root — of a plant
  16. court — of law
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. roll — a list
  19. board — a committee
  20. shower — to wash
  21. root — the cause
  22. court — for sport
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mug — a face

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