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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'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. foot — a measure
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. suit — in cards
  7. suit — to fit
  8. cue — for pool
  9. board — to get on
  10. suit — clothes
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. cue — a signal
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. wound — an injury
  16. squash — to crush
  17. cue — a hint
  18. wound — an injury
  19. kick — in football
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. board — a committee
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. squash — the vegetable

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