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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. mug — a cup
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. squash — to crush
  5. mug — a face
  6. file — a tool
  7. file — a document
  8. mug — to rob
  9. board — a committee
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. board — to get on
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. squash — the sport
  14. file — a line of people
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. field — a subject
  18. field — for sport
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. field — farmland

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