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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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. board — a committee
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. squash — the sport
  9. squash — to crush
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. band — a ring
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. season — in sport
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. chip — for betting
  21. season — of the year
  22. chip — to eat
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. band — a music group

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