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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  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. squash — the sport
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. wake — a trail
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. squash — to crush
  7. race — a contest
  8. race — humankind
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. lean — to bend
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. race — the arms race
  17. lean — thin
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. board — to get on
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. bark — to shout
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. jam — in traffic
  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