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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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. rock — music
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. board — a committee
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. band — a music group
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. charge — electricity
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. squash — to crush
  15. rush — hurry
  16. charge — a price
  17. band — a ring
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. kick — in football
  20. squash — the sport
  21. board — to get on
  22. date — the fruit
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. charge — in control

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