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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. tube — a container
  3. field — a subject
  4. suit — clothes
  5. suit — in cards
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. board — to get on
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. suit — to fit
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. row — to paddle
  13. row — a line
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. field — farmland
  16. squash — the sport
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. field — for sport
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. squash — to crush
  24. board — a committee

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