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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. fine — high quality
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. squash — the sport
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. board — a committee
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. board — to get on
  12. roll — a cake
  13. track — to keep track
  14. chest — of your body
  15. roll — a list
  16. fine — all right
  17. chair — a leader
  18. track — a song
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. chest — of your body
  22. track — a path
  23. chest — a box
  24. fine — a penalty

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