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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 116 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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. land — a country
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. march — the month
  6. sharp — clever
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. board — a committee
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. march — music
  18. squash — to crush
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. march — the month
  21. board — to get on
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. land — ground
  24. squash — the sport

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