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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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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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. squash — to crush
  3. tube — a container
  4. season — in sport
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. tube — the underground
  8. wake — a trail
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. squash — the sport
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. present — a gift
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. season — of the year
  20. present — the time now
  21. board — to get on
  22. board — a committee
  23. present — there
  24. tube — in a tire

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