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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. squash — the sport
  3. board — a committee
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. pitch — completely
  7. fork — in a road
  8. cap — of ice
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. land — a country
  12. squash — to crush
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. cap — a hat
  15. land — to come down
  16. dip — to sink
  17. board — to get on
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. land — ground
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. cap — a lid

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