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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. squash — the sport
  3. squash — to crush
  4. game — a match
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. rule — a law
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mug — a cup
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. mug — to rob
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. board — a committee
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. rule — government
  17. craft — a skill
  18. season — of the year
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. board — to get on
  21. mug — a face
  22. season — in sport
  23. game — wild animals
  24. squash — the vegetable

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