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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. board — a committee
  3. squash — the sport
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. saw — the tool
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. squash — to crush
  10. tube — a container
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. board — to get on
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. swing — in golf
  18. swing — music
  19. vault — a safe
  20. saw — the tool
  21. wake — a trail
  22. tube — the underground
  23. swing — to play on
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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