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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. squash — the sport
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. stock — shares
  7. staff — employees
  8. board — to get on
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. staff — employees
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. stock — goods
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. squash — to crush
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. board — a committee
  19. wound — an injury
  20. staff — a stick
  21. dip — to sink
  22. wound — an injury
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. coach — a trainer

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