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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. squash — to crush
  5. court — of a king
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. squash — the sport
  11. drill — the tool
  12. court — of law
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. court — for sport
  15. pitch — completely
  16. drill — army training
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. board — a committee
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. drill — a practice
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. tube — a container
  24. board — to get on

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