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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  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. squash — the vegetable
  2. pop — to visit
  3. stand — to bear
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. file — a document
  6. board — to get on
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. pop — music
  9. file — a tool
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. chair — a leader
  12. capital — a city
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. squash — to crush
  17. toast — bread
  18. board — a committee
  19. file — a line of people
  20. pop — soda
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. capital — money
  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