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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 president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. squash — the sport
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. board — to get on
  6. mark — a trace
  7. mate — a friend
  8. spring — of water
  9. mate — to breed
  10. dip — to sink
  11. mark — a grade
  12. spring — a coil
  13. board — a committee
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. bore — to tire
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. pitch — completely
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. spring — the season
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. bore — to drill
  24. mate — a partner

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