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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. club — for golf
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. board — to get on
  5. tube — a container
  6. fine — all right
  7. fine — high quality
  8. squash — to crush
  9. foot — a measure
  10. club — for dancing
  11. board — a committee
  12. tube — the underground
  13. wound — an injury
  14. fall — to drop
  15. wound — an injury
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. squash — the sport
  18. club — a group
  19. fall — to drop
  20. fall — the season
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. foot — part of the body

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