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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. rest — what's left
  3. pass — a permit
  4. rest — what's left
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. degree — from a university
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. squash — the sport
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. board — a committee
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. rest — a break
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. board — to get on
  18. degree — temperature
  19. hand — in cards
  20. hand — help
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. squash — to crush
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. degree — an amount

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