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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. ground — the earth
  4. squash — to crush
  5. fine — all right
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. plane — a tool
  10. ground — crushed
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. bat — the animal
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. bound — certain
  16. squash — the sport
  17. bound — tied together
  18. board — to get on
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. ground — a position
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. bound — obliged
  23. fine — high quality
  24. squash — the vegetable

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