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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. bound — certain
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. bound — tied together
  9. pitch — completely
  10. bound — obliged
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. board — a committee
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. board — to get on
  21. squash — the sport
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. squash — to crush

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