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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. land — ground
  4. board — a committee
  5. present — a gift
  6. fine — all right
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. cue — for pool
  10. tear — from crying
  11. present — there
  12. squash — the sport
  13. board — to get on
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. tear — from crying
  16. cue — a hint
  17. present — the time now
  18. land — to come down
  19. land — a country
  20. fine — high quality
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. squash — to crush
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. cue — a signal

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